Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:41-17:13; St. Luke 20:1-18
“Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (St. Luke 20:18)
In the name of Jesus. Amen. Jesus is the stone that the builders rejected. The Son of God came to this earth in the flesh as one of us, preaching, teaching, healing, casting out demons. But it wasn’t what the religious leaders wanted to hear or see. They didn’t want bad news. They didn’t want to be told to repent. They wanted a pat on the back.
So, they rejected God’s Messiah. Like the parable Jesus tells in St. Luke’s 20th chapter, the “tenants” kill the “son.” Jesus is put to death. But this is no chance happening. It all happened as Jesus predicted it would. He would suffer, die and be raised on the third day. This is the foundation, the cornerstone of God’s plan of salvation – “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone!” (St. Luke 20:17).
On the eighth day of Jesus’ birth, Simeon proclaimed: “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed,” (St. Luke 2:34). To those who receive Jesus in faith, there is salvation. But for those who continually reject Him, there is judgment.
Some things never change. Still today there are those who would rather do their own thing. They feel that they don’t need repentance. They feel that they don’t need anyone to tell them their sin.
What about you? Jesus died to bear the devastating load of your sin upon Himself. But if you reject Jesus, the weight of all of your sin remains upon you, bringing the crushing blow of God’s judgment – eternal death.
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants reveals a merciful God who keeps on pursuing His people out of love. In love, God has continually pursued you. Through Law and Gospel, God brings you to your knees, strips you of your own notions of worth, and raises you up. He shows you just how much you are worth. You are worth the price of His own Son.
On the foundation of Christ, God has built you into a new spiritual house where you continually bear fruit. His Holy Spirit breathes new life into you each day through the Gospel – through Baptism, Absolution and the Lord’s Supper. In Christ, God gives you far more than a pat on the back. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
“Christ is our cornerstone, On Him alone we build; With His true saints alone The courts of heaven are filled. On His great love Our hopes we place Of present grace and joys above.” (LSB #912, verse 1)
Easter 2007 Reflections were written by the Rev. Joel Fritsche, Admissions Counselor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO.