Luke 20:16-17 16When they heard this, they said, “May it not be!” 17But looking intently at them he said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected, this one has become the cornerstone’? 18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
The crowd was shocked at the story. The story is a horrible tragedy, with everyone losing: the lord of the harvest lost his son and servants, and the tenants lost their lives. The people who heard the story likely had a sense of sadness, which would come with the decision not to let something like this happen. They would be on the side of the owner, his son, and the servants. The tenant farmers got all they deserved. The owner’s insistence on getting his crop is also shocking. Obviously, it was important to him.
Beginning in verse 17, Jesus drives home the implied message with a quotation from Psalm 118:22. This verse is quoted also in Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:7. The capstone is a key part of a building. There are several ways to interpret the purpose of this stone. One is that it was used in the corner of a building and was key for the whole foundation. Another is that everything else in a build was measured by this stone. It could also represent the capstone of an arch that held the weight of a ceiling. With any of these images, it is clear that it was the most significant part of a building. As the builders were sorting out stones for the building, they did not like that particular one. However, later it became the most important stone in the building. The implied application is clear. The leaders of the people would reject Jesus as God’s Messiah, but he would go on to become the exalted King of kings and Lord of lords.
In verse 18, Jesus quotes from Isaiah 8:14-15 to show the outcome of those who rejected the stone. Judgment awaits those who reject the Son of the Lord of the harvest. The image changes from the builders rejecting the stone to the stone crushing them. They tried to build their kingdom without the most important stone. The religious leaders were at the most significant crossroads in Israel’s history. God’s promised Messiah was right before them, but because of their prejudices and preoccupation with power and control, they were missing out. Even more critical and surprising is that they wanted to get rid of Jesus.
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