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The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone"
(Mt 21:42)
As
a building engineer I have heard this statement made in various forms
and occasions by masons. Looking for an ideally shaped stone they would
keep rejecting one after the other. Finally they would settle for the
best among the rejected ones! Jesus saw Himself as a rejected stone.
Prophet Isaiah portrayed Him as "a Man of sorrows ... despised and
rejected by men" (Isa 53:3).
None
of us who truly follow the crucified Savior can escape the cross of
rejection. No man is fully accepted until he is totally rejected. Joseph
was rejected but finally crowned. David was despised but finally
enthroned. Jesus was rejected and despised by relatives and religionists. The world still hates Him. He has forewarned us, "If the
world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you" (Jn
15:18). Apostle John repeated this warning, "Do not marvel, my brothers,
if the world hates you" (1 Jn 3:13). Apostle James went one step
further when he wrote, "Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God" (Js 4:4b).
It
was not an exaggeration when Paul testified, "We bless those who curse
us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We respond gently when evil
things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world's garbage,
like everybody's trash—right up to the present moment" (1 Cor 4:12,13).
At the same time it is possible we antagonize the world by unsocial
gestures and lack of wisdom. This is wrong. Jesus grew in favor with
men, didn't He? (Lk 2:52). The message here is that an evil world will
not love a good Abel; an unrighteous world will not applaud a righteous
Noah; a licentious world will not tolerate a virtuous Joseph; a corrupt
religion will not accommodate a sincere Jeremiah; an immoral ruler will
not garland a forthright John the Baptist; and a world sold out to sin
will not embrace us if we stand against sin.
The
context of this proverbial passage teaches us another valuable lesson
(Mt 21:33-41). God's serious view of fruitlessness in the lives of His
people is vividly illustrated here. If we keep on disappointing God, we
alone will be the losers. God knows no defeat. He knows when to do what,
how and through whom.
No one ever cared for me like Jesus;
There's no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me—
O how much He cared for me!
(Charles F. Weigle, 1871-1966)
