Pastor
Steve Geiger The Fifth Sunday of Lent
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Luke
20:9-19
9
He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented
it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a
servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the
vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent
another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent
away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him
out.
13
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son,
whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
14
“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’
they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So they threw
him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What
then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those
tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When
the people heard this, they said, “May this never be!”
17
Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that
which is written:
”‘The
stone the builders rejected
has
become the capstone’? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to
pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
19
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him
immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But
they were afraid of the people.
Rejection
Doesn’t Mean Worthless Luke 20:9-19
1.
Rejection hurts
2.
The one rejected helps
I
had never ridden with a real estate agent, looking for a house, ever in my
life. My dad was in the car too. Watertown.
Three years ago. Where would my
parents live?
Lots
of homes we looked at, admired. Then
the agent . . . there’s one I’m saving.
Into the driveway we pull. My
thoughts remained a secret, but avocado green.
The house was painted avocado green.
We walk inside, and in the kitchen, fake brick and on the far wall, fake
stone. Into the bathroom—pink tub. I don’t know why I felt what I felt, but my
first impression? This isn’t very
nice. Rejection.
But
the more we looked, the more Dad admired the quality of construction. The care put into the house. The good buy.
That’s
where my mom and dad live right now.
It’s still avocado green and the tub is still pink, but it’s
beautiful. A blessing from the
Lord. In so many ways, perfect for them
and for our family, for the children and grandchildren who come to visit.
But
in my little mind, for some brief moments, I had rejected it. Clearly, rejection doesn’t always mean
worthless.
It
may mean nothing more than that the one rejecting has overlooked the true
worth.
But
when we are rejected, that’s often not the first thing we think. When someone isn’t interested in hearing us
share the truth of Jesus, are our first thoughts, “Oh, I’m sad to know that
they are overlooking true worth.” When
rejected, for whatever the reason, very tempted we are to assume that what has
been rejected truly is worthless.
What
a temptation for Jesus. Rejected, over
and over and over again. And not by an
ignorant home buyer. By the
professionals. The head priests. The religious professors. Those old and wise.
Who
had seen, who had heard of what he had just done. It was Holy Week. A short
time after Palm Sunday. Jesus had
cleaned out of the temple those making God’s house a market place. “By whose authority are you doing this?” the
leaders of the Jews did ask. In other
words, “You have no right.”
Jesus
did what he did because it was right. God
didn’t want his temple used in that way.
Jesus represented God. Jesus was
God. Jesus had God’s authority, but to
walk those leaders carefully through the real problem, that they were regularly
rejecting God’s authority and not just in the person of Jesus, Jesus asked them
by whose authority John the Baptist had acted.
“Well, we don’t want to admit he was from God, but we don’t want to say
he wasn’t, because then the crowds will hate us.” Uuuh, we don’t know.
This
is the moment when Jesus told his story.
A story about how rejection hurts.
But it wasn’t first about the pain felt by the murdered son, whom the
owner of the vineyard loved. It wasn’t
first about the pain of the other three servants who were beaten. The story was not first about the upcoming
crucifixion and pain to be felt by the Son of God, rejected by wicked
leaders. The story was about the pain
surely to be felt by those who rejected.
The wicked vineyard farmers would be destroyed. The owner of the vines was going to kill
them.
Rejection
may appear to hurt the one who is rejected.
Rejection truly hurts those who reject.
These
religious leaders, given responsibility for the care of God’s building, the
church, had decided that they didn’t want this stone, Jesus, in their building. They didn’t like his ability to uncover
their secret sins, their love for men’s praise instead of being committed to do
right no matter what people say; their desire to appear Christian while having
thoughts and actions very different; the pride ready to see specks in eyes of
others while missing the plank in one’s own.
So
they rejected this stone. Now, did this
stone begin to cry because no one liked him?
Jesus could have cried, but only because those rejecting one day would
be condemned by the stone for whom they had no time. Forever crushed, broken and scattered. Ruined.
Rejection
hurts those who reject.
Have
you been rejected? Have you served a
family member with patience and faithfulness for months and years, yet this
individual returns to you not appreciation and love but rejection? Rejection of you, but maybe more, a
rejection of the Lord himself. You
begin to wonder, “Does rejection mean I’m worthless? Does rejection mean that the truth, the Lord is worthless?” Have you tried to witness to a stranger, to
a friend, but after their rejection you wondered, “Is the Lord’s truth really
true?” When others spend their time
seeking first earthly joys, “Is Bible study really as valuable as I was led to believe? Is seeking first God’s kingdom before my own
financial progress or athletic fame or educational advancement or physical
happiness . . . is seeking first God’s kingdom really the best?” When you look to live a life that honors the
Lord but see others living differently, can you begin to question? Do you wonder if their rejection means that
your love for God is worthless?
So
easily we can consider rejecting Jesus ourselves. Maybe they’re right. It
would make life much easier, to become like them. In fact, I wouldn’t be rejected anymore.
So
much we crave the approval of men that we may change our behavior to gain
it. We may listen to the worthless
words of our friends. What then?
What
then? Had my initial rejection of that
house carried the day, my mom and dad would not have it. If my rejection of the house had carried the
day, who would have been hurt? The
house? That which had been rejected? No.
Me! I and my family . . . we
would have been the ones hurt.
Separated from blessing.
To
be tempted by the conclusions of the world, that rejection by the world means
that Jesus is worthless and then to begin living like the world does, is not to
hurt Jesus. Rejection hurts the one who
rejects. The Jewish religious
leaders. Those rejecting truth spoken
by Christians. You and me, when we are
drawn to those rejecting and decide to love him less.
When
we decide that Jesus, the perfect stone, is not important enough for us to
follow wholeheartedly, even if we are rejected . . . with sadness the reality,
“The stone the builders rejected . . . he on whom it falls will be crushed.
Me. My rejection will hurt me, forever.
Yet
the one rejected is so quick to help.
I
didn’t share my first impressions about the avocado-colored house with the real
estate agent. I didn’t share my thoughts
with my dad. I didn’t say anything to
the house either. Though if I had, what
could my words have done to the house?
Would it suddenly have been come less well built, less well set-up for a
grandpa and grandma expecting many visiting grandchildren, have less of a nice
little workshop for my dad to do his woodwork?
Had I shared my words of rejection with the house, they would have done
nothing to the house.
Have
we with our words and actions communicated a sense of rejection toward
Jesus? No doubt. The question for us now is whether our
rejection changes reality. Has our
rejection made Jesus worthless?
Witness
a love that persisted even in the face of rejection.
Love
first in a story. Fire and brimstone
could have rained on Jewish leaders immediately. But Jesus takes time to tell a story. Of an owner so patient, giving the wicked chance after
chance. Of a God so patient, giving
sinners chance after chance.
But
you’re right. This story ends with
words of judgment. I don’t know if any
of the Jewish leaders were brought to repentance through Jesus’ words. They would be crushed by the stone they
rejected.
Yet
even in those words of judgment, a gem bringing comfort to you. “The stone the builders rejected has become
the cornerstone,” the best stone.
You
see, the question is, “If I have treated Jesus as worthless, for me is he now
worthless? By my rejection have I made
him worthless?
How
silly. Rejection doesn’t change who
Jesus is. In fact, the stone so
rejected has become the cornerstone.
Do
you know who were called cornerstones?
Leaders of groups among the people of Israel. Corners of God’s people.
The important ones.
Whatever
you feel you have done to your Lord, you did not succeed in making him
unimportant. You haven’t succeeded in
making him not a leader. You haven’t
succeeded in making him someone who no longer can help.
In
fact, the stone the builders rejected became the leader stone. The stone the builders rejected took on
himself a responsibility. A
responsibility to act for those he loved, the world. The stone rejected became with his actions a leader for the
world. A leader who refused to change
his behavior even though rejected.
The
day on which Jesus told his story was a day or maybe two after Palm Sunday, and
three or maybe four before the day of Jesus’ death. Early in the week, rejected.
Later in the week? Kept going. “If we are faithless, he will remain
faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). He kept walking to his death, to help
you. Taking your rejection, taking our
caving and fear in the face of rejection, he placed it on his shoulders, his
neck bent under the weight. His
heavenly Father crushing and pummeling, abandoning our dear Savior.
Yes,
in doing this, our leader was saving us from our enemies.. He, the leading stone, attacked sin. He grappled with guilt and after enduring
hell itself, now says to you that your sin has been paid for, your guilt removed. The leader stone attacked Satan. Every trick to get Jesus to doubt, no doubt
including the rejection by so many, was ignored. Tempted in every way, just as we, but without sin. He beat . . . yes, crushed the head of the
devil.
And
death. Jesus, the leader stone,
attacked death. Instead of being
afraid, he willingly died. Instead of
trembling at the thought of his last breath, he calmly gave up his spirit. He must have known something. How could he face such an enemy with such
peace?
He
did know something. Resurrection. Just a matter of time.
The
stone rejected became the leader stone.
A leader taking the lead for the world.
Standing in and fighting your enemies for you. Sin, paid. Satan,
crushed. Death. Raised from the dead, that because he lives
. . .
Well,
he is worthy of your confidence, your trust.
He has died to forgive you. He
is raised to assure you that you are innocent.
Believe and you will live.
But
he was rejected. But being rejected
doesn’t mean something is worthless.
What
joy. What perspective as I prepare for
rejection by others.
When
you tell of Jesus, when you share how he is the last thing one would want to
reject, when you express your joy in worship, giving your money, sharing the
Word, sacrificing time, cleaning the church, disciplining your children, having
devotions, being patient with the struggling, assisting those in need . . .
when you share with others how everything can be lost except Jesus, you may
very well hear or just see in the actions of another, “That’s not for me. You’re crazy.” But you’re not! Their
rejection does not your living for the Lord and the truth of his Word
worthless.
When
you live out your love for Jesus and are patient and loving with a family
member, you may very well witness others return your love with an “I don’t
care,” or unkindness. They laugh at you
for being so nice. You, laughable. But you’re not. Rejection does not make your love worthless.
When
you feel that you have yourself fallen short of God’s expectations, you now
know the punishment is deserved, and despair makes you think that your Savior’s
payment for sin is now erased. But it’s
not. Rejection does not make Jesus
worthless.
Those
rejecting certainly can hurt themselves.
But even then, the one rejected works to help.
Jesus
did just this for you. What an honor to
do the same . . . to remember that rejected does not mean worthless.
Amen.