The Parable of the Tenants: Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-18 - Part 3. - The Cornerstone

 Good morning folks. 

Today we go over the last part of this reading, which is the Cornerstone. I decided to leave this for a separate post because this part of these passages, frankly, confuses me. I put this off way too long, but I'm going to try to tackle it. 

I somewhat understand the part about the rejected cornerstone becoming the capstone, but I don't understand the difference between the one who falls on it and the one who is crushed by it. By extension, I also don't know what that means for you and me in our current time and lives. This is where in-depth study and using your resources comes in. There's no shame in not understanding a passage, otherwise, what would I be learning? This is a place to dig in, use my resources if I hit a roadblock, and find out what it means. Will I always understand it correctly after studying it? No, but Lord willing, if I am wrong in my interpretation now, God will bring the correct answer to me in the future, either through someone else's teaching, or through my own studies and meditating on the Word. The goal isn't to have the perfect study, but to learn, to grow, and to know God better. 

I just recently compiled a running list of my current Bible Study Resources, and my comments on them here:  Bible Study Resources

First, I'm going to read through these passages again, and not just where it mentions the Cornerstone, but the whole passages for context. As I have already posted the full context of the passages in my previous posts, I will let you go look at it there. 

In context, my first observation is that this passage is in the context of Jesus condemning the religious leaders, using the parable of the unfaithful tenants. The statement about the cornerstone is linked to this parable, so there is the context of either unbelief or rebellion against God. 

However, I'm not satisfied with that understanding. There's more to it than that, so let's look at just the end of these passages and the dialogue around the cornerstone. I'm normally I'd highlight some things, but I am actually finding myself at a loss for how to highlight, so, I'm going to make some observations instead, and some questions based on those observations.

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Matthew 21:42-46; 

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord's doing,

    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

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Mark 12:10-12;

10 Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone;

11 this was the Lord's doing,

    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.

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Luke 20:17-18;
 
17 But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone’?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

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Observations/Questions: 
1.  The stone was actively rejected, in all three passages. 
2. The builders rejected it. Who are the builders? And why did the religious leaders believe this was specifically aimed at them? 
3. God worked in spite of these builders, and made this stone the cornerstone. 
4. Historically, how central was a cornerstone, and what significance would that have been to Jesus' hearers?
5. This is an Old Testament quote, which would have added a layer of known theological meaning to what Jesus was saying. What was the Old Testament passage, and what did it mean in its context?
6. Why was the stone becoming the cornerstone marvelous in their eyes?
7. What does falling on it and being broken to pieces mean, and why does it differ from being crushed by it?

 So, a number of observations, in no particular order. I think my best starting point to get answers would be to first look at the significance of a cornerstone. My first reference for this will be my Unger's Bible dictionary (pg.223 of the 1979 printing). This will help us understand the historical significance. 

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Corner Stone (Job 38:6; Isa. 28.16), the stone at the corner of two walls and uniting them; specifically, the stone built into one corner of the foundation of an edifice as the actual or nominal starting point of a building. From a comparison of passages we find mention of "a stone for foundations" (Isa. 28.16), "a stone for a corner" (Jer. 51.26, from which would appear that corner stones were placed in different positions as regards elevation ). The expressions "the head of the corner" (Psa. 118: 22) and the "headstone" (Zech. 4:7) seems to warrant the conclusion that the "corner stone" is a term equally applicable to the chief stone at the top and that in the foundation.

Figurative. The phrase "corner stone" is sometimes used to denote any principal person, as the princes of Egypt (Isa. 19:13, margin). Christ is called the "corner stone" in reference to his being the foundation of the Christian faith (Eph.2:30) and the importance and conspicuousness of the place he occupies (Matt. 21:42; 1 Pet. 2:6). 

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This answers question 4; "Historically, how central was a cornerstone, and what significance would that have been to Jesus' hearers?" In building, it was the foundation for everything, but could also be reference to the capstone, which was the finishing stone. Figuratively, though, principal people were considered the cornerstone in other societies, i.e. what the society stood on. I think we'd call these people the pillars of society, in modern lingo. In the Church, this concept was expanded as Christ being the foundation of our faith, but this expansion of the concept would not come about until later. 

For the answer to question 5; "This is an Old Testament quote, which would have added a layer of known theological meaning to what Jesus was saying. What was the Old Testament passage, and what did it mean in its context?"

To find the origin of this quote, I checked my John MacArthur Study Bible and it says the quote is from Psalm 118:22-23. You can also get this reference from Blue Letter Bible online if you look up the passage, click on "tools" and then "cross-refs." 

The next step is to read the entire Psalm to obtain the context. It's too long to post here, so I will just post the referenced verses. 

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Psalm 118:22-23:

The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord's doing;
    it is marvelous in our eyes.

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John MacArthur notes in his Study Bible notes that "...this quotation from Ps. 118:22-23 is irrelevant to the parable that precedes it. But it is taken from a messianic psalm. Jesus cited it to suggest that the son who was killed and thrown out of the vineyard was also 'the cornerstone' in God's redemptive plan."  In other words, the quote builds on the parable and expands the idea that the son that the tenants rejected, and by extension, Christ, is the key to salvation. 

Now, who were the builders who rejected him (question 2)? If we look at the parable that was the earlier part of this conversation, and how the parable condemned the religious leaders for rejecting Christ in favor of guarding their own power and authority, we can see the theme is continued here. They are the builders who are outright rejecting Christ, yet, despite their rejection, He is still the cornerstone. 

For question 6, why was it marvelous in their eyes, the answer is now clear: despite the plans of the religious leaders, God still moved forward with His plans, and Christ is still the cornerstone. It is marvelous because no one could change the outcome of God's plan. 

And finally, for question 7, "What does falling on it and being broken to pieces mean, and why does it differ from being crushed by it?" This is the part that really made me struggle, and is why I have put off finishing this section. I finally had to fall back on my John MacArthur study Bible notes, and here's what he says: 

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"Christ is 'a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over' to unbelievers (Isaiah 8:14, 1 Peter 2:8). And the prophet Daniel pictured him as a great stone 'cut from a mountain by no human hand,' which falls on the kingdoms of the world and crushes them (Daniel 2:44-45). Whether a ceramic vessel 'falls on' a rock, or the rock 'falls' on the vessel, the result is the same. The saying suggests that both enmity and apathy are wrong responses to Christ, and those guilty of either are in danger of judgment."

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And that, dear friends, is why you don't try to figure it all out on your own. Because you can spend 4 months trying to get an answer that someone else has already figured out. The answer to my question: they're the same result, but one is for being at war with Christ, and one is for apathy. Anything other than acceptance and submission to His lordship is unacceptable and will lead to you being crushed or shattered.