The Cornerstone
“Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?” Matthew 21:42
Jesus was speaking to the religious leaders and told them a parable about a man who owned a vineyard and had worked very hard to make it productive. He had to go out of town, though, so he leased it out to some other farmers who would be responsible for gathering the harvest. The vineyard owner sent his servants to receive the grapes, but the farmers injured a couple of them and killed one of them. The owner then sent a greater number of his servants, but they received the same treatment. This vineyard owner was certainly a forgiving man. He finally sent his own son, believing that the farmers would respect him, but, when they saw him, they decided to kill him and seize his inheritance.
They followed through with their evil plan. Jesus then asked the religious leaders what they thought that the vineyard owner would do to those men. They gave the obvious answer that most anyone would give: the landowner would destroy those men and lease out his vineyard to those who would respect him and do what he asked. Jesus then asked them if they had never read in the scriptures about the stone that had been rejected by the builders, but it had become the head of the corner, the cornerstone, the most important part of the foundation of any building. This was all in God’s plan for His creation, and it was a marvelous plan because the Cornerstone was required to build the kingdom of God. Jesus then promised them that His kingdom would be taken from them and given to those who would respect and honor Him.
Jesus then gave them another promise: “whosoever will fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder”. In 1 Peter 2:8; Peter refers to Jesus as a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offence” to those who reject Him. All unbelievers, from those who are indifferent to those who intentionally defy and reject the Lord will fall upon the Stone of God’s judgment. However, the latter who despise, persecute, deny, blaspheme, and attempt to eliminate all that is godly will find their punishment much more severe, as a stone is crushed into powder.
Now some folks believe that God will overlook their indifference and even their rejection of His Son. However, that is one thing that God cannot do. He cannot and will not violate His own word. His anger and His punishment is justified against all those who reject the only means of salvation–repentance of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me give you an analogy that came to my mind to illustrate in a very simple way how God in His majesty and sovereignty views those who reject His Son. Suppose I had some good friends, at least I thought they were good friends, and I decided to make them a nice quilt for Christmas. I bought expensive fabric in the colors that would go with their bedroom and spent about a year making it. At Christmas I presented it to them, and they seemed pleased with it. About a month later, I went back to visit and happened to look out into their backyard from the window and saw the quilt that I had made for them lining the bottom of their doghouse. How do you suppose that I would feel? At first I would be hurt, then disappointed, and then angry. I certainly would not make them another quilt! Our relationship would likely come to an end; if that was what they thought of my gift, I could only imagine what they really thought of me. Now multiply the hurt and anger by about a gazillion times, and it might give us an indication of how God feels about those who mock, disbelieve, ignore, and reject His Son who suffered and died to set them free from sin.
God will forgive anyone who sincerely repents and places his or her faith in Christ who paid the penalty for our sins, but those who reject Him will have to pay for their own sins in a place of torment where the sin debt will never be paid up.