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 amazing in our eyes? (Matthew 21: 42)
When buildings were built with stones, the most important stone was called the “cornerstone.” This stone was the first one that was laid in the masonry foundation, and all the other stones were set in reference to it. The cornerstone would determine the strength and stability of the whole construction.
In today’s scripture, Jesus says that He must be the cornerstone of our life. If we put anything or anyone else as our cornerstone, our lives will fall and crumble.
If we make our spouse our cornerstone, what happens when he or she disappoints or leaves us? Is our life then over? And besides that, how does our spouse feel about being the “stone” that holds us together?
If we make our children our cornerstone, what happens when they don’t live up to our expectations? Have you ever seen a parent fall apart when gifted Johnny or brilliant Susie didn’t get into the right school? Furthermore, what happens to a child’s life when they have to hold together, even justify, the parent’s life?
If our work is our cornerstone, what happens when work isn’t going well? Do we give up? Or, what happens if we lose that work? Do we then lose our life?
If we make our possessions our cornerstone, how do we feel when one of our precious things is broken? Or how about that sickening feeling when we see that our neighbor has an even fancier-cornerstone-house or an even slicker-cornerstone-car?
In today’s lesson, Jesus encourages us to see that no other persons, no activities, no work, and no hobbies are strong enough to sustain our life. The only cornerstone that can hold together all that we are, all that we have, and all that we hope for, is Jesus.
Reflection Questions:
- Is Jesus your cornerstone, or do you have others?
- Have you ever made anything or anyone other than Jesus the cornerstone of your life? If so, how did you respond when that thing was no longer satisfying or when that person let you down?
- Have you ever felt like your life has just been turned to rubble? Ever felt like you had to rebuild after some major loss, hurt, or betrayal? If this is where you are right now, are you willing to let Jesus be the cornerstone that holds everything together?