This morning I read this passage from Luke 20:9-19 for devotions. It contains one of the toughest verses to interpret “those who fall onto the stone will be broken into pieces and those the stone falls upon shall be ground to dust”. Jesus spoke this parable against his enemies who plan to have him killed. God’s vineyard is rented out to tenants and when the time comes to seek out fruits from the vineyard God sends his servants one by one (prophets in the OT) and when the time comes sends His only son (Jesus) into the vineyard. One by one God’s servants was mistreated, cast out and some killed. The tenants refused to give account of the harvests of the vineyard and asserted control over it as if they were the owners or landlords.
These are the religious leaders who think they own the church of Christ and cast out all who seek for accountability and fruitfulness of the Lord’s vineyard. The stone that the builders rejected had become the cornerstone. God is a god of reversals though it may seem to take a long time and that ungodly leaders are in power and in posssession of the Lord’s vineyard. As the rightful owner God will assert his right of ownership anytime and when He so chooses there are only two choices left for his people. They can accept the stone (Jesus) and fall upon Him in contrition and repentance. Though their lives will be then broken into pieces and Christ makes everything new including our minds and our world views according to His Word. Those who fall on the stone are those ready to be moulded by God’s Word and where things need to be broken they will be broken in order that God will recreate a new people in His own likeness to do His pleasure. But they are those who refuse to fall on the Rock but in their stubbornness and recalcitrance they will be ground to dust until there is no return, no hope and no restoration.
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