Luke 20:17-19

Luke 20:17-19

And the one who looked earnestly to them said, “What therefore is this thing that has been written, ‘A stone that the ones who build reject by trial, this became into a head cornerstone.’  All the ones who fall upon that stone will be broken to pieces.  And upon whom it should fall it will scatter him like chaff.”  And the scribes and high priests sought to cast hands upon him in the same hour.  And they were being afraid of the people, for they knew that to them he said this parable.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Normally in parables, the point of the parable is to speak truth in a way that is hidden from people unless they really want to discover it.  In this rare parable, however, Jesus takes a moment to explain the parable to everyone who can hear.  Jesus has told this parable because He is the Son.  The Son of God is the Messiah, the cornerstone.  However, Jesus is really clear.  Like the son of the owner of the vineyard, this cornerstone is rejected.  Jesus is sending a clear message.  He expects to be rejected.  He knows what His enemies are planning.  But He is moving ahead in spite of their plans.

Why do you think Jesus would want to be clear at this moment?  What is Jesus trying to prove by telling His enemies that He knows that they plan to reject Him?

Second Thought:

Jesus continues.  Jesus tells the people who are listening that anyone who falls upon this stone will be broken into pieces.  In other words, the people who come upon Jesus and reject Him will stumble and be broken.  They will be scattered.  Jesus is telling those who oppose Him to carefully consider what they are planning.  There will be consequences to their actions.  There are always consequences when we reject God’s Son.

When have your plans resulted in unexpected negative consequences?  When have you stumbled in sin and reaped consequences you could not foresee?

Third Thought:

Naturally, the religious leaders don’t care for what Jesus says.  Jesus has thrown down the gauntlet in a very formal and public way.  Notice that the religious leaders don’t take the hint.  They are in power.  They think that they are in control.  They hear Jesus’ words, get angry, and resolve to deal with the situation.  However, they can’ possibly foresee the mistake that they are making.  They can’t possible know the consequences of their actions.  They are blinded by their anger and the need to be in control.

Have you ever heard something that angered you so much that you did something that led to seriously bad consequences?  Why do humans do this kind of action?  Does the amount of power you have in a situation ever impact your response to hearing something that you do not like to hear?

Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 20:20-26