The rejected stone
The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned
out to be the most important of all.
This was done by the LORD;
what a wonderful sight it is!
This is the day of the LORD’S victory:
let us be happy, let us celebrate! (verses 22-24)
Bill wanted to build a wall beside his driveway to keep the soil from washing away. So he began collecting stones, ready to begin his job. He couldn’t find the one he was looking for to anchor the whole wall at the comer, where strength and stability were required. The search went on, and finally, one day, he came across just the stone he wanted, lying discarded in an old yard and almost covered in grass. Now he could build his wall, and it would be strong and lasting.
When Jesus came to earth, he too was discarded. He was rejected and finally put to death. But that was not the end. Indeed, it was the beginning. Jesus didn’t stay dead, he became alive again, and he was used by God to become the cornerstone in the building of the Christian church—strong, reliable and everlasting.
We are all stones in this church, anchored in and reliant on Jesus Christ, the most important stone of all.
Thank you, heavenly Father, for building your church, making it anchored in and reliant on your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you that it is constantly being kept and added to through your word. Amen.
by Grace Bock, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)
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