“Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the LORD, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust” Matthew 21:42-44

Be careful concerning the stone. It may not fit what you are building, but God has designed it to be an integral part of what He is building. Fall on it, and you will be broken; have it fall on you and you will be crushed.

We understand the rock to be figurative of Jesus. Peter (petra=the rock), whose great confession (Matthew 16:16) became the great rock foundation for the church, understood this: “And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed” 1 Peter 2:4-8.

The much-misunderstood Jesus will never conform to our ideas and plans because this rock-solid cornerstone is designed such that we conform to Him. The best option is that we fall on Him and “be broken to pieces” through repentance. To reject Him is to have Him “scatter … like dust.”

It seems likely that Jesus was referencing another rock illustration in the mention of one being scattered like dust. Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45 speak of a stone cut without hands that crushes all earthly kingdoms and scatters them like chaff so that not a trace remains. That unique rock is the kingdom of God, with Jesus being the king.

In all of this the message is clear: conform to Jesus, the chief cornerstone, and be built into the structure He is building. Reject Him, and be crushed into oblivion. He and His kingdom will triumph over all, regardless of opposition and rejection.

May we be joined to the solid rock today, and be built into a structure that will truly last.

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