“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.” -Psalm 118:22-23

While in the temple, Jesus quoted this prophecy–to those sent to stumble Him up with hard questions in front of the people (Mat 21:42; Mar 12:10;  Luk 20:17). In the process He stumbled them up by asking, Haven’t you read this (implying, don’t you get it)? Then He voiced His own (unpleasant) prophecy–about stumbling…

Not a Cliche

Stumbling them up wasn’t His main aim. All the people standing there needed to ponder this prophecy, too. So do we, much more than we tend to do.

Some of our doctrinal truisms become cliches in our minds before we get too far in Christian life, and we fail to build that new life on them. Since this one is about the main stone in the figurative building that the Bible says all Christians become part of (1 Pet 2:5-9), we really need consider and apply it!

The Context

Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22-23 immediately on the heels of his parable about wicked vineyard workers who abused the owner’s messengers and finally killed his son. He declared that “the kingdom of God” (which the vineyard represented) would be taken from them and put in the charge of others “bearing the fruits of it.”  Now, about the stone he declared, “Whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder” (Mat 21:44). Oo.

Not too hard for us to figure out its basic meaning, this side of the Cross and the birth of the Church. Those leaders perceived, too, that He was talking about them (Mat 21:45). Their reaction, unfortunately, was to “get” not it, but Him! (Mat 21:46).

The Big Picture

Clearly, He is the Chief Cornerstone, rejected by many “builders.” Peter made this clear in His courageous speech of Acts 4:10-12, then again in his first Epistle, where he also called the true believers “living stones… being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Pe 2:4-9).

This imagery would hold especially great meaning for Peter because the new name Christ had given him meant rock, and Christ had also told Peter that He would build His church upon a great rock.

How We Fit In

But what does this mean for us? Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:11-16 give the answer. Each of us as a living stone in a living Temple (God’s worldwide true church), is meant to edify (build up) that Temple, that whole body of Christ, by supplying the rest of the body/temple with the gifts God puts in us to share, so that all might be unified in Truth and in Christ, growing up into Him as the head, exhibiting His true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:24). Let us not lose sight of this picture, nor fail to aim toward living it out.