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."  And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people -- for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

 

- Luke 20:9-19 

 

On Saturday 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 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 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, while the beloved son is a reference to Christ Himself.  So, when the Son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, it is understood on two levels.  First, Jesus was killed outside Jerusalem (Golgotha, the site of Crucifixion, was outside the city gates).  Second, that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers, not by those of His own vineyard.  The others who later receive the vineyard are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  

  

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."  And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people -- for they knew He had spoken  this parable against them.  That stone, my study Bible explains, is Christ.  It notes that, according to St. John Chrysostom, this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those falling on the stone are people who suffer the effects of their own sins while yet in this life, whereas those on whom the stone falls are unrepentant people who become powder in the final judgment.

 

Christ speaks of Himself in today's reading, as "the stone which the builders rejected," and which in turn becomes "the chief cornerstone."   This is a quotation from Psalm 118:22, and He's clearly indicating that He is the fulfillment of this Psalm.  The religious leaders understand this perfectly as His meaning and context, but their response is to seek to lay hands on Him to kill Him.  The only thing that stops them at this point is their fear; they fear the people who delight to hear Christ speak (Luke 19:47-48).  When Jesus says, "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder," He is speaking of Himself as the Judge. When Jesus says, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father" (Luke 10:22; Matthew 11:27), He is indicating that, upon completion of His mission in this world, of His Crucifixion, death, Resurrection and Ascension, all things in all of creation will be in His hands, and He will have authority over all things -- including Judgment at the end of the age.  So when these men, the chief priests and the scribes, immediately plan to lay hands on Him, they are in effect rejecting His authority over them, rejecting His role as Judge, rejecting Him as the Almighty; see John 5:22-23. What does it profit us to reject Christ as the Judge, to reject His word and teachings for us, even His way for us (John 14:6)?  From the standpoint of this authority to which He will ascend and fulfill, we might as well curse the laws of physics, and reject the fact that we need to breathe because we just don't feel like it.  For a rejection of Christ and His role that He will play is a rejection of the reality of the Lord, of the power of the universe and the spiritual truths behind it and all that we know.  This is what is meant in St. John's Gospel, when we are told, "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18).  If we reject, we exclude ourselves from that authority and judgment, we exclude ourselves from the life that He has on offer to us.  This is not to say that we are punished, but that we have excluded ourselves from the eternal life He offers.  In the context of our faith, earthly death comes when our human soul is separated from our earthly body.  But true death, spiritual death, happens when our soul is separated from God, the Source of life.  We have no idea and cannot predict what happens when Christ will judge, and we cannot judge one another.  It seems that we cannot even judge ourselves, for we don't know ourselves as Christ knows us.  But we can accept with confidence what Jesus teaches us about His authority, and what he says regarding the stone the builder rejected.  We ourselves can stumble upon that stone in our lives in this world, suffering the effects of our own sins and errors, and learn from that, repent and change in our brokenness and failure.  Or we can carry on heedless and face the stone that that can crush to powder -- spiritual death -- in judgment.  Let us consider this warning of the One who loves us so much He's willing to suffer and die, to suffer judgment of the world, rejection by His own community, and a voluntary, literally excruciating death on the Cross, all so that we can live with Him.  Let us, unlike these men in today's reading, take His warnings seriously, for the life of the world, and our whole lives, depend upon it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it

 

 "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 him.  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 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 him.  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."   In this parable, my study Bible explains, 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 servant sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God, while the beloved son refers to Christ Himself.  When the Son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, this is understood on two levels:  First, that Jesus was killed outside Jerusalem (Golgotha was outside of the city walls); and second, that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers and not those of His own vineyard.  The other vinedressers who later lease the vineyard are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Note that, as in yesterday's reading, above, in answering Christ's question, the elders 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."  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.  Jesus quotes to the religious leaders Psalm 118:22-23.  This stone is Christ.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who comments that this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while yet in this life, whereas those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant who suffer utter destruction in the final judgment.  

Again in today's reading we encounter themes that have to do with God's mercy and forbearance, but also with the power of God as it works through our human interactions.  That God is the owner of the vineyard sets the stage for our understanding of our place in the world.  We are in a world that is not of our own making, nor are we even "owners" of this world.  We are, in fact, stewards of this world in the setting of the Bible.  As such, it must be our concern to be good stewards, not only to care for our world, but to care for all that God has created and all that implies; this includes much more than simply a physical material plane of existence, but also the spiritual welfare of all the world.  In this parable, the vineyard is Israel, but clearly it becomes extended out to the Gentiles, to all the world.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the people; in this case, it is specifically directed at the religious leaders in the temple, who are responsible for the leadership of the people on so many levels.  The fruits of the property are spiritual fruits, for which the owner (God) sends his servants -- the prophets who come to call the people back to God.  Finally there is Christ the Son.  But His rejection and killing will set off a different chain of events, and here we have an indication that the mercy of God actually has its limits.  Or perhaps what we should say is that our abuse of God's mercy will have its limits.  Earlier, Jesus has taught, "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men" (Matthew 12:31).  In the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, we're told that there is no such thing as an unforgivable sin -- but it depends upon our own repentance.  In other words, the only unforgivable sin is the one that is not repented.  And so it is with the story of the Wicked Vinedressers.  God's mercy, a time for repentance, extends through all the calls of the prophets sent to remind the vinedressers what they are to be about.  But the failure to understand and accept and be fruitful in their relationship to the owner only deteriorates through their attitude.  They wish simply to own and exploit the vineyard, finally killing the son and heir in that selfish quest.  There is no turning back and no repentance, and the effects of their rejection and selfishness will be the fruits they will bear.  This is something that might be difficult to understand in terms of God's love and mercy, which we consider inexhaustible.  But it is our own rejection that at some point becomes fixed; it is our own internal life that can become corrupted enough through rejection of spiritual truth that we don't turn back but hang on all the more to what is not truth, not reality.  Our world is frequently compared to God's vineyard in support of the idea that it is not simply ours to own and to exploit, but rather ours to care for as good stewards.  This is often used as a metaphor for considering the ecology of the natural world, and issues such as climate change.  But Jesus tells this parable for reasons far beyond the care of the physical being of the natural world.  It is a parable directed at the religious leaders, who know full well what He is talking about.  But it is at the same time a parable for us to take seriously regarding our own spiritual fruits and spiritual lives, the life of the soul, and the heart that does not accept the vineyard owner, and the very nature and substance of who has given us life and whose sustenance makes our lives possible.  So many people have no sense at all of the sacredness of life, the gifts we're given, and pay no attention to the spiritual needs that accompany the fullness of life, the heart and mind and soul that is neglected through a focus on selfishness.  To exploit our world is far more than a question of its physical well-being, but depends very much on our spiritual understanding of life and the righteousness in which we're called to engage and to grow.  Our ancient ancestors, and the literature of the Bible, seem to suggest that we can't separate the physical well-being of ourselves or of our world from our spiritual well-being, and I would agree that this is so.  It is something we need to take seriously and to consider for ourselves.  In the parable, this spiritual vineyard will go on to the care of others who may prove to be fruitful in the ways that the vineyard owner desires; it will be leased to others.  In that aspect, it seems we are to understand the infinite creativity of God; that God is not altogether dependent upon us but will find other creative ways to seek out those who are capable of bearing the fruits of the Spirit.  We don't know the infinite creativity and meanings and intentions of God, so let us take this parable -- and its manifestation in history -- to heart.  Let us take care for ourselves that our "right relationship" to all things begins with our relatedness to God, and that within that embrace is contained the world and every single thing in it.  It is the umbrella of God's love and care that we seek to learn and within which to grow, and to extend that to all of creation.  There is no telling what beauty and truth and goodness can come of such "right relatedness," but we are also warned of the consequences of our failure to understand this mission and the meaning of our lives within the right relationship to God, and that we are invited to dwell in God's kingdom in this world.  Let us begin today to seek Christ's way, for all that we might be in charge of in our lives, for whatever is in our care, be that big things or small ones, for all of it is a gift and all of it precious to its true Owner.  This is especially so of those who come bearing His word and His life into the world to call us all back to Him, and to wake us up to ourselves and our true citizenship in the Kingdom.

 

 

 

 

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone

 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 may 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'?"

- Mark 12:1-11

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples 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 may 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.  My study bible says that in this parable, the man who plants the vineyard represents God the Father.  The vineyard is God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders, especially the religious leaders, who are entrusted to care for the people, and especially their right-relationship to God.  Each servant who is sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back into proper relationship to God, while the son, his beloved, is a reference to Christ Himself.  When the son is killed, and cast . . . out of the vineyard, my study bible says this is understood on two levels:  Jesus was killed outside Jerusalem, and He was crucified by foreign soldiers, not those of His own vineyard.  The others to whom the vineyard will be given are the Gentiles who are brought into the Church.  

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'?"  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23.  This is the same psalm from which the people shouted as they welcomed Christ into Jerusalem at the Triumphal Entry, just days before this encounter (see Psalm 118:26, Mark 11:9).

In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus adds something to this quotation from Psalm 118:  "And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder" (Matthew 21:44, Luke 20:18).  My study bible adds an important comment on this passage, that when we are broken through stumbling, we still have a chance to repent through suffering the consequences of sin.  But those on whom the stone falls are those without repentance in life.  With or without this additional passage, we should understand that Jesus is not condemning, but still seeking to warn the religious leaders of Israel.  That is, there is time to repent and to change, time to at least hear what Christ has to say before they plot to have Him crucified.  We need to hear this parable and this warning, I believe, on such terms, as Christ asserts the truth through a parable.  They will either hear it and understand and accept, or they will not.  As we have observed in yesterday's reading and commentary, faith is an affair of the heart, and even God does not force the heart to return love or to practice faith.  In our own free will, we, too, may stumble over that stone, or lead the kind of life which tempts its fall upon us, never reconsidering, never looking back, never accepting that we could possibly be mistaken in our outlook or perspective on our lives.  Let us consider for today the need to turn back to God in our hearts.  This is not simply about a nominal change in public policy such as of the leaders of the country.  This is not about public pronouncements.  But it is an affair of the heart, the center of a person, where our souls and spirits connect deeply to who we are in every respect.  It is there that we either reject or accept God, or hear the voice that calls us back to a kind of change that will set us in good stead in relationship to God.  These religious leaders Jesus has widely called hypocrites.  In chapter 7, He told them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men'" (Mark 7:6-7).   This is not about a nominal obedience to God, seen on the outside or for show to others.  We, like these particular religious leaders Jesus addresses, can honor God with our lips, while our heart is far from God.  At this time while we are all under some sort of stay-at-home policy during the coronavirus pandemic, and for so many of us we are unable to attend the services of Holy Week (this week in the West, and next week for the Eastern Orthodox), let us consider where God is found and where our right-relatedness to God really rests.  Our churches are all cooperating with civic authorities for a true Christian reason:  we sacrifice at this time so that we protect all, thus acting on behalf of all and "for the life of the world," just as the Son was sent and gave His life for the same reason.  But while we are at home, it is the perfect time to renew our commitment in the heart, where Christ and the Father and the Holy Spirit dwell with us (John 14:15-31).  It is the perfect circumstance under which to seek to take on a renewed depth of communion with God, as we may put into practice prayer services at home each day of Holy Week.  We may also participate on line, and we may make this strongest and greatest of commitments to which Christ calls us with all His words and teachings.  Let us remember that Jesus was asked (later on in Holy Week) what the greatest commandment was, and He responded with the following:  "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:29-31).  There may perhaps be no greater opportunity than this Holy Week to put Jesus' words into practice, to seek to cultivate the love of God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.  And to love neighbor as oneself is to continue cooperatively at this time to protect the life of an entire community through our willing sacrifice.  At this time, we can learn to practice our own prayers at home more frequently, giving it more time.  We may diversify and learn new ways to pray, including contemplative prayer, or varied small services we may do at home.  And, of course, all of our churches are offering the greatest possible expansion of participation on-line, to an extent unknown before now.  Let us remember where Christ calls us:  to a depth of the heart, the capacity of always turning back to God, moving forward in discipleship, open to correction and the deepening of our faith.  There may never be a better opportunity in our lifetimes than now to do just that which He asks.  There may never be a better illustration of the truth that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to God's purpose (Romans 8:28) -- for this is indeed the light of our faith revealed to us now.  Now more than ever, our "Chief Cornerstone" calls us to practice what He teaches us.