Mark 12:10-12 10Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected, this one has become the cornerstone; 11this came about by the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they knew that he had told the parable in reference to them. So leaving him they went away.
After the parable, Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23, the same psalm quoted by the crowds in verses 10-11. The messianic connotation of this psalm clearly stands in the background of the stories in this chapter. The stone referred to here was intended for Solomon’s Temple but was rejected and became the head of the porch. This quotation is used in the New Testament to show how the Jews rejected Jesus, whom God exalted (Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6–8). Mark is the only one to add Psalm 118:23 to emphasize that this was part of God’s plan.
The religious leaders saw the connection of the story with themselves, and it made them even angrier than they already were. For the third time (11:18, 32; 12:12), Mark notes that the religious leaders were afraid to arrest Jesus because they feared the crowd. They feared the people more than they feared God. They were fitting into the role of the tenant farmers by how they were treating Jesus. The parable is both descriptive of the past and prophetic of what was about to happen. The choice was clearly before them. What would they do with Jesus? This was one of their last opportunities to repent and put their faith in Jesus. A few did, like Nicodemus (John 3) but most would not listen but only harden their hearts. The scene ends with the sad statement they went away from Jesus, the only source and hope of their salvation. When Jesus comes to us, how will we respond? Will we harden our hearts and walk away, or will we heed the voice of God that calls us to turn from sin and accept the lordship of Jesus?
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