Stumbling Stone or Corner Stone?


“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."
Matthew 21:42

Imagine or Picture a huge, flat stone hidden in the grass. Some people never see the stone because they are looking ahead and not down. Because they don’t see it, they stumble and fall. Others walk through the grass, slowly, carefully, uncertain of what lays ahead. Their head is down, their eyes fixed on the ground. They see the stone and instead of tripping over it, they stand on it.

The same stone thus trips one person and supports another.

These words about the stone that was rejected by men, but is precious to God, are actually a reference to Psalm 118:22-23, where it says: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

When Jesus was confronted by the Jewish religious leaders who were rejecting Him, He quoted this same passage from Psalm 118:22 in Matthew 21:42. Jesus was talking about Himself there. He was saying, He is the Cornerstone that Psalm 118 is talking about: rejected by those Jewish leaders, and the chosen people of God, the Jews.

Jesus said He is that “Cornerstone.” And this idea of having Jesus as your “Cornerstone” is a great picture of what it really means to be a Christian.

The definition of a “Cornerstone” is: “The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.”

Did you catch that? The definition says that the Cornerstone is important because “all other stones will be set in reference to this stone.” And that makes sense. When you put down that cornerstone, every stone that goes out from it in that building, in all directions, is determined by where that stone is. That Cornerstone determines the direction of everything else in that building.

And what a great picture that is of Jesus as the Christian’s “Cornerstone.” Because He is our “cornerstone,” the direction for everything else in our life is determined by Him. This is what it really means to be a Christian: that Jesus is directing your life.

He determines the decisions of your life. He determines the direction for your life. He determines what you believe, and what you do, in every area of your life. That is what it means for Jesus to be your Cornerstone:

If Jesus is the Cornerstone of your home, then how are you going to bring up your kids? You’re going to do it following His words: “Let the little children come unto Me,” and do not put a stumbling block in front of them. It means you are going to take them to church, and teach them about Him, and live a live that will point them TO Him, and not AWAY from Him.

If Jesus is your Cornerstone, then you’ll respond to your enemies the way Jesus told you to: He said Do not pay back “an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth” and seek your own revenge. He said “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”

If Jesus is your Cornerstone, then you will seek to do what He did on earth: to reach and teach and care for people. Over and over the Gospels tell us that Jesus saw someone in need, felt compassion for them, and then did something about it. Look through Matthew, Mark, & Luke, and you will see this expression over and over. He “saw … felt compassion” … and then did something. If Jesus is your Cornerstone, then you will not be content with your life unless you are reaching and teaching and caring for people like He did.

The bottom line is, if Jesus is your Cornerstone, then you are going to be continually asking “What would Jesus do?”  and do that, with every issue, and in every area of your life:

Dear friends, Have we really made Jesus the Cornerstone of our life? Have we truly accepted His grace and forgiveness through His death on the cross? And are we showing that He really is our Cornerstone by seeking to have everything else in our life line up with Him, because He is our “Cornerstone”?

This Lenten Season let us stop to consider what it is that we have used as a ‘cornerstone’, what it is that we have built our lives upon. Let’s make sure that our lives are built upon Him - His sinless life, His sacrificial death, His burial, and His resurrection unto life.

God Bless You
Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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