Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder

 

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  

 

"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  

 

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the LORD's doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet. 

 

- Matthew 21:33–46 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the temple (the day after the cleansing of the temple), the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  so they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

 

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him."   My study Bible explains that, in this parable, the man represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the Jews who are entrusted to care for the people.  Each of the landowner's servants sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God.  But the son is a reference to Christ Himself.  When the son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, this is understood on two levels, my study Bible explains.  First, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (Golgotha, the place of crucifixion, was outside city walls at that time).  Second, that He was crucified by foreign soldiers, not those of His own "vineyard."  

 

"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."   Yet again, as noted in yesterday's reading and commentary, the religious leaders convict themselves.  

 

 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  My study Bible informs us that this stone is Christ.  According to commentary by St. John Chrysostom, this is a saying which illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while they are still in this life.  But those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant, who suffer utter destruction in the final judgment.  Similar references to the "cornerstone" which is a foundation and also a potential stumbling block is found at Isaiah 28:16; and quoted by Sts. Peter and Paul (see Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6; Romans 9:33).

 

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  Once again, the religious leaders' hypocrisy should be noted.  They sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the multitudes, who took Him for a prophet.

 

 One thing that is striking about Jesus is that, although He clearly demonstrates His foreknowledge of His death in this parable, He nevertheless continues to speak out in condemnation of those who will seek to put Him to death.  In other words, He both warns them and criticizes them at the same time -- telling the truth they don't want to hear and confronting the ones who will bring Him to the Roman authorities with false charges of treason.  These religious leaders are corrupted.  Their places are what are important to them, as Jesus will go on to say in chapter 23.  But today's parable speaks clearly about judgment, and how that judgment happens.  The One whom they will seek to put to death -- who will be crucified through their manipulations -- is also the One who is the stone.  This stone, ultimately, is the stone of judgment.  As testified to by Isaiah the prophet and subsequently Sts. Peter and Paul in their letters, the stone of judgment is ultimately one that is both a "stumbling stone and rock of offense and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 9:33).  Jesus Himself quotes from Psalm 118:22-23 in today's reading to tell these religious leaders just that -- that the One whom they will seek to put to death ultimately will rule in this position of authority and judge, and that He will become the new foundation, the chief cornerstone.  It is His authority which will prevail, and "the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Nonetheless, these men will still seek to put Him to death.  But it is their very failure to repent which will determine their own outcome.  So we have Christ's bold words today for ourselves as well.  How can we understand what He is teaching here?  How do we understand them for ourselves?  We live in a world in which material outcomes are seemingly all that there is.  Surely Jesus' death on the Cross was convincing for many that His claims to be the Christ were untrue.  But where does faith come into it?  And how do we understand this death of the Son?  One of the first ways to understand the parable He teaches in today's reading is to grasp that merely laying claim to something is not necessarily a truly effective power.  We can't grasp the mysteries of the kingdom of God simply by claiming them for ourselves; they don't work that way.  Faith doesn't work that way.  And the spiritual power of the kingdom of God doesn't work that way.  It is not something we can control and manipulate, and our faith is not magic.  The image of Christ as this chief cornerstone functions to give us a concept of a foundation, something which is ignored or abused at one's own peril.  It cannot be moved or persuaded through means other than the truth, for it is God's presence and therefore the ultimate reality.  This foundation stone is like a throne, it conveys authority, and it teaches us about the purpose of Christ's Incarnation:  to establish God's kingdom in this world and invite all those in who wish to follow Him.  In this sense, we can observe evil around us, that which opposes God.  In this sense, the world is a kind of battleground in which we are tempted (as imaged by Christ's time in the wilderness; see Matthew 4:1-11).  Thus we are invited to do as He did, and to engage in the "good fight" of faith (1 Timothy 1:18; 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7), putting on the "whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:10-18).  Jesus goes full into that battle, and as sovereign Son He leads that we may follow Him, and share in His courage and His love for us all, bearing the fruits of His true vine.

 

 

 

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone

 

 Then He began to tell the people this parable:  "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.  Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do?  I will send my beloved son.  Probably they will respect him when they see him.'  But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'  So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."  And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"  

 

Then He looked at them and said, "What is this that is written:

'The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone'?

"Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

 

- Luke 20:9–18 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened on one of those days, as Jesus taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

 

 Then He began to tell the people this parable:  "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the vinedressers beat hi and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent another servant; and they beat hi also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.  Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do?  I will send my beloved son.  Probably they will respect him when they see him.'  But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'  So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."  And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"  My study Bible explains this parable as follows:  The man represents God the Father, while the vineyard is a reference to God's people.  The vinedressers are the religious leaders, who are entrusted to care for the people of God.  Each servant who is sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet, who comes to call people back to God.  The beloved son is a reference to Christ Himself.  That the Son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, has been understood to have a double level of meaning.  First, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (Golgotha was at that time outside of the city gates).  Second, that He was crucified by foreign soldiers, and not by those of His own "vineyard."  Those others who later receive the vineyard are the Gentiles brought into the Church. 

 

 Then He looked at them and said, "What is this that is written:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?  Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  That stone ("whoever falls on that stone") is Christ.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who notes that there are two ways of destruction illustrated here.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the effects of their own sins while they are yet in this life.  Those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant, who become powder in the final judgment.  

This image of judgment might be quite startling to think about, especially in light of the phrase "it will grind him to powder."  This is an image of ultimate scattering ("He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad" - Matthew 12:30), and to be ground to powder is clearly a kind of scattering that is total.  It seems to speak of a hopeless obliteration of existence.  If we consider the power of God, however, it would remain likely that only the power of God could restore one in such a condition to life, for "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).  At any rate, this is an image of obliteration, complete destruction.  Jesus' image of Himself as the chief cornerstone is taken from Psalm 118:22, from which He quotes.  St. Paul uses this image in his Letter to the Ephesians, when he speaks of believers comprising the building of a holy temple fitting for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit:  "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:19-22). Taking all of these elements together, we're given a picture in which, for those religious leaders to whom Christ speaks, a great upheaval is coming, as He is the stone the builders rejected, which will become the chief cornerstone of a new temple fit for the indwelling of God the Spirit. It's a perspective that includes the loss of the temple they administer, the great holy temple in Jerusalem, which indeed will come in 70 AD at the Siege of Jerusalem.  In Saturday's reading, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, lamenting His rejection and what is to come as a result:  "For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  Of course, this remains true today; only one retaining wall is left of the temple rebuilt by Herod the Great in which Jesus stood speaking with these religious leaders.  To be subject to judgment is a kind of terrible reckoning; one must consider what it means that repentance is the key to avoiding the fate of those upon whom the stone may fall.  There's a well-known prayer, written by St. Ambrose, which uses the image of a stone as a hardened heart.  It reads, "O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore You, a heart to delight in You, to follow and enjoy You, for Christ’s sake.  Amen "   A heart of stone stands in danger of becoming so hardened that any kind of repentance or reconsideration becomes impossible.  Let us rely on the warmth of the fire of the Spirit to kindle in us a heart for God's truth at all time, for the power to change, and the courage to be humble.  

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone

 

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:

    'The stone which the builders rejected

    Has become the chief cornerstone.

    This was the LORD's doing, 

    And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.

 

- Mark 11:27—12:12 

 

 Yesterday we read that on the day following the Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday), when Jesus and the disciples had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He wold not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 

  Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  My study Bible refers us first to Luke 7:29-30, which gives us some important background to this interaction:  "And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him."   Regarding this dispute and the questioning of the religious rulers, my study Bible comments that since Christ is not a Levitical priest, the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple (see yesterday's reading, above).  It notes that as Christ is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, He confounds them with a different question about John.  Both the elders' question and Christ's question require the same answer, and therefore would lead someone to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  As Jesus does not answer directly, my study Bible says, He teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent.

 

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"  And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.  My study Bible explains that in this parable, the man represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the Jews entrusted to care for the people.  Each servant sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God.  The beloved son refers, of course, to Christ Himself (Mark 9:7).   When the Son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, this is understood in two ways.  First, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (Golgotha was outside the city walls); and second, that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers and not those of His own "vineyard."  The others who later receive the vineyard are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23.  

Here the great dispute is about authority.  In both the quiz or testing from the religious leaders regarding John the Baptist, and the parable with which Jesus eventually responds, the notion of authority weighs heavily.  All of this is being challenged because of Christ's cleansing of the temple, and the subject is stirred up through Christ's actions which befit the Messiah.  This is why the religious authorities come to question Him all together.  Interestingly Jesus finishes His parable with a quotation from Psalm 118.  This, again, hints at the question of the Messiah and this messianic authority displayed by Christ.  Psalm 118 was important both for the Passover feast and also for the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of the Coming Kingdom.  Now, in the setting for this exchange, is what we call Holy Week; it is the week of the Passover festival.  The Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration of the time of the expected kingdom of the Messiah; it commemorated the time that Israel wandered searching for the Promised Land, and lived in tents (tabernacles).  Jesus' quotation not only directly confronts these authorities with the truth of the New Covenant He will initiate, and of course the truth of their rejection of Him, but also evokes the very authority of the Messiah as it is so associated with expected messianic rule and authority.  Effectively, Jesus uses this occasion as an exposition of this Psalm, virtually declaring it to be prophecy directed against them and their rejection of Him.  Jesus may have very brilliantly answered their question of His authority with another question about John the Baptist.  But here, in quoting these verses from Psalm 118, He has put a very strong point on the end of His parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, leaving no doubt at all what and whom He's talking about.  The chief priests, scribes, and elders will make their own response in turn, but they will do it when they can, and not before these crowds in the temple who've come for the Passover, and delight in listening to Jesus dispute (Mark 12:37).  Jesus has just made it very clear how He understands these verses of this important psalm (and does so for yet another significant psalm in the context of the people's "glad hearing" of Him in Mark 12:37).  It is extremely important that we pay attention to how Jesus Himself uses Scripture, for He teaches us how meanings and values work, and also what prophecy is hidden in these important psalms.  They continue to bear out their meanings, and teach us what our faith is about.  For the stone which the builders rejected, and the fact of its becoming the chief cornerstone, should not be lost on us in this time, just as it was relevant for these leaders.  In Matthew's and Luke's versions of this story, Jesus adds a caveat:  "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder" (Matthew 21:44; Luke 20:18).  We also bear responsibility for paying attention, and not rejecting Christ's authority in His teachings for us today.  In our heart of hearts, we need to understand what it means that He is the chief cornerstone, and how God's power responds to faith or the lack of it.  Let us keep this in mind as we read through the events at this Passover festival which we commemorate in Holy Week.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes

 

Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, "This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:

'The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the LORD's doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.

 

- Mark 11:27—12:12 

 

Yesterday, we read that the next day after Christ's Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday), when He and the disciples had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." 

Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  My study Bible informs us that since Christ is not a Levitical priest, the chief priests and the elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple (see yesterday's reading, above).  As Jesus is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, He confounds them with a different question about John.  This is an important question, because it exposes the leaders' hypocrisy, for they feared the people, as all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  My study Bible says that both the elders' question and Christ's question require the same answer -- and therefore would lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  By not answering them directly, it says, Christ teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent.

 

 Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, "This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others."  Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"  And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.  In this parable, my study Bible explains, the man who planted a vineyard represents God the Father, and the vineyard itself refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the religious leaders who are entrusted to care for the people, and to guide them in producing spiritual fruit (see the symbolic withering of the fruitless fig tree in yesterday's reading, above).  Each servant who is sent by the owner is an Old Testament prophet, who comes to call people back to God.  The beloved son is a reference to Christ Himself.  When the son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, this part of the parable is understood on two levels.  First, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (Golgotha, where crucifixions took place, was outside the city walls of the time); and second, that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers, not by those of His own "vineyard."  The others who will later receive the vineyard are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23, referring to Himself as the stone the builders rejected which becomes the chief cornerstone via the LORD's doing, which the text explains the leader and the people understand.

My study Bible explains that Jesus speaks in parables and riddles in part as He won't directly address those who ask Him questions maliciously about holy things, and this teaches us to do the same.  It seems that if we think about this carefully, we may observe that they don't really want to know the truth.  They are not looking for an honest answer from Jesus about holy things, but seek instead simply to trap Him, with hostile intent.  Therefore, they don't honestly deserve a real answer from Him; in a sense, it's none of their business -- because, although it is their given task as spiritual leaders, they've made it none of their business.  They have made it none of their business by being more interested in their positions and what they gain than the spiritual welfare of those in their charge.  This is given to us in today's reading when it is clear that they know the people believe John to have been a truly holy man, a prophet sent from God, and the leaders are afraid to confess their rejection of John.  It is doubled when the same answer is true for Christ Himself, that they reject Him although the people do not.  We can apply this understanding to our own lives, for it teaches us a powerful truth about our own spirituality and the welfare of our souls.  For we either make that a concern of ours -- business of ours -- or we don't.  There is a choice involved in our own welfare and spiritual standing.  We concern ourselves with such choices, or we do not.  We have the freedom to ignore the state of our souls entirely, focusing purely on worldly gain or loss or standing or failing, or choosing to incorporate -- even place first in our lives -- where we stand with God at all times.  This is always a choice on offer to us.  Repentance is the very process by which we turn from a "wrong direction" in terms of a relationship with God to a "right direction."  We turn from an ignorance or deliberate evasion of that relationship to restoring it and seeking to establish it more firmly.  In a sense, this is where the religious leaders are.  Jesus is there in the temple, having cleansed it from the money changers and animal sellers, establishing Himself with the authority these religious leaders question.  If it were not possible for them to repent by anything other than their own long road of choices behind them, then He would not be there speaking to them.  They still have the choice open to them, but they are not really interested in what He has to say.  They are too busy guarding their important and powerful places, with the exception of a few we can read about in the Gospels, such as Joseph of Arimathea (a Pharisee himself) or Nicodemus, or even those whom John's Gospel mentions who believed in Him but were afraid to say so because of the powerful among the Pharisees who were against Jesus (John 12:42).  St. Paul himself writes that he was a Pharisee, and the son of a Pharisee, and trained by the great teacher Gamaliel (Acts 22:3, 23:6; see also Acts 5:33-40).  As long as we are alive, we have the capability to repent.  The one thing that prevents us from doing so is a long, long road behind us going in the opposite direction.  In that we may lose our capability for reconsideration of our own choices.  But, as we are taught in the Gospels, with God all things are possible (see this reading).  Thus, we are to understand that sincerely calling upon God will have its results, and these men who will seek to destroy Jesus are capable of understanding what He has to tell them if they seek God with a sincere heart.  Since we know there were those on the Council who not only bravely followed Jesus, but who also secretly believed in Him but feared to openly say so, it is clear that this choice was open to each individual -- and we might conclude that it is always open to each one of us, to our friends, our family members, and those whom we love.  For Christ's truth, as St. Paul writes, reaches down into the deepest part of us, into places we thought could not be separated or divided from us, in order to reach and to teach in our most secret places, even hidden from us (see Hebrews 4:12).  Let us remember that Christ's words are for all of us, just as the people listen to the disputes in the temple, and among them many perceive the holiness of God's word.

Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder

 

 Then He began to tell the people this parable:  "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.  Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do?  I will send my beloved son.  Probably they will respect him when they see him.'  But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'  So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."  And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"  Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:

'The stone which the builders rejected 

Has become the chief cornerstone'?

Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

 

- Luke 20:9–18 

 

Yesterday we read that, on one of those days of Holy Week, when Jesus taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel,  the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  "The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

 

 Then He began to tell the people this parable:  "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.  Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do?  I will send my beloved son.  Probably they will respect him when they see him.'  But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'  So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."  And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"  My study bible explains that in this parable, the man represents God the Father, and the vineyard is a reference to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the Jews, those to whom it has been entrusted to care for God's people.  It is they to whom Christ speaks, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders who have just questioned Jesus about His authority to teach, preach, and perform the works He has performed (see yesterday's reading, above).  Each servant who is sent by the owner represents an Old Testament prophet, who comes to call people back to God.  But the beloved son, finally, refers to Christ Himself.  When the Son is cast out of the vineyard in order to be killed, it is traditionally understood on two levels.  First, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (that is, on Golgotha, which was outside of the city walls at that time.  And second, that Christ was crucified by foreign soldiers, and not those of His own vineyard (the Roman soldiers).  The others who later receive the vineyard are the Gentiles who are brought into the Church, and by adoption are enabled also to become God's people, no longer an exclusive possibility.  

Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?  Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22.  The stone referred to is Christ Himself.  My study bible explains, through the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, that this saying is an illustration of the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the effects of their sins while yet in this life, thus leaving an opportunity and possibility for repentance.  But those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant, who become powder in the final judgment.  

It's interesting to think about all the "stones" that have been mentioned in various recent readings rather close together in the Gospel.  Jesus spoke about the stones that would cry out if the people were silenced in their reception of Him as He rode into the holy city, Jerusalem, at the Triumphal Entry (see this reading).  In prophesying what would come in Jerusalem within a generation, we were told in Jesus' lament that "days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation" (my italics; see this reading).  Jesus' prophecy quite literally came true, as Roman soldiers believed there was gold between the stones of the temple, and all that remained afterward was what still remains, one retaining wall of the temple now frequently called the Western Wall, but for many centuries referred to as the Wailing Wall.  And here in today's reading, we again hear of stones, this time the stone which the builders rejected but which has become the chief cornerstone.  Amidst all this talk of stones, we should also keep in mind St. Peter's allusion to the living stones who will build up Christ's church in the world.  He writes, "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:4-5).  All of these allusions to stones are tied together:  the destruction of the temple, the rejection of the stone which will become the chief cornerstone, and the living stones which not only would shout out praise should Christ's joyful followers be silenced, but which will go on to build Christ's Church, with Him as the chief cornerstone.  St. Peter himself, in his confession on behalf of all of the disciples, becomes the rock upon which the church would be built, "and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (see Matthew 16:16-18, John 1:42).   That is, to be explicit, the rock of faith.  But apart from the living stones who form the holy priesthood which builds up a spiritual house, the greatest metaphor regarding a stone is the one that Jesus offers today, that head cornerstone about which Jesus says, "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  For this is Christ's teaching about power and judgment, and it is in fact a response to the questions regarding His authority for His ministry which the religious leaders posed to Him in yesterday's reading.  Ultimately, a failure to recognize the true authority here will result in a judgment.  As St. Chrysostom's commentary elucidates meaning for us in this statement, we understand that one either falls on that stone during one's lifetime in this world, and thus are afforded an opportunity for personal change, or beyond that, the one upon whom it falls it turns to powder, an allusion to oblivion, the loss of all existence and memory of existence.  Then, questions of authority, quibbling over what "right" one has to ministry or healing or preaching become moot, because real authority is not one conferred only by human beings, regardless of what the world may say or think or believe.  A real authority is the same one by which John the Baptist preached and baptized a repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  A true authority is one that works because God the Father, Son, and Spirit interact in our world, dwell among us and within us, effectively working with and through our faith to make us living stones, a holy priesthood, a Church that lives even where it isn't seen, a Kingdom that comes without observation (Luke 17:20-21).  It is this kind of authority we seek and we know, this authority that works in the human heart, in human affairs, seen and especially unseen.  And as we await now the celebration of our Lord's birth, our thoughts should turn to this Kingdom and the faith that dwells within us, for we need to be aware of it more than ever, or so it seems at least to me.