Mark 12:1-11: a reflection

1He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country. 2When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard. 3They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty. 4Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5Again he sent another, and they killed him, and many others, beating some, and killing some. 6Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others. 10Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. 11This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’?”

In the parable of the vineyard, Jesus tells of an owner who patiently sends servant after servant, and finally his own beloved son, to a people who reject and kill them; and he points to a stone the builders rejected that became the cornerstone. The owner sent servants to receive the fruit, but the tenants beat and killed them; still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last, saying, they will respect my son. But they killed him too. Yet Jesus ends with a turn: the stone the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous. The parable shows God's patient, persistent sending, even of his own son, and points to Christ, the rejected one who became the cornerstone. This shows God's patient sending and Christ the rejected stone become cornerstone. God patiently sent again and again, even his beloved son. The rejected stone became the cornerstone; Christ, rejected, was vindicated. God's persistent patience meets rejection, yet his purpose stands. Christ, rejected, became the cornerstone by God's doing.

Notice two things in this parable: God's patient persistence and Christ's rejection and vindication. First, the owner's patience: he sends servant after servant, and though they are beaten and killed, he keeps sending, finally sending even his own beloved son, in a striking picture of God's patient persistence in sending his messengers, and at last his Son, to a people who rejected them. God did not give up after the first rejection, but kept reaching out, even at the cost of his Son. And second, the turn at the end: the stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone. Though the son in the parable is killed, Jesus points to a Scripture that reveals the outcome: the rejected one becomes the cornerstone, the very foundation, by God's doing. This points to Christ himself, rejected and killed, yet raised and made the cornerstone of God's whole saving work. The rejection did not defeat God's purpose; the rejected Christ became, by God's doing, the cornerstone. This shows us both the patient persistence of God's reaching out to us, even at great cost, and the vindication of Christ, who though rejected became the foundation of everything. God patiently persists in reaching out, even to those who reject him. Christ, rejected, became the cornerstone by God's doing. Rejection did not defeat God's purpose; the rejected Christ was vindicated. God's saving work rests on the once-rejected cornerstone, Christ.

That is worth taking to heart, for God patiently persists in reaching out even to those who reject him, and Christ, though rejected, became the cornerstone by God's doing, so that rejection did not defeat God's purpose. We can marvel at God's patience, sending again and again even his own Son to a people who rejected his messengers; and we can take hope that the rejected Christ became the cornerstone, that rejection did not defeat God's purpose but was woven into his triumph. God's purpose stood. Marvel at God's patient persistence, and rest on Christ the once-rejected cornerstone, on whom God's saving work is built. Marvel at God's patient persistence in reaching out and rest on Christ, the rejected stone become cornerstone, as Jesus told of a vineyard owner who sent servant after servant to receive the fruit, and though they were beaten and killed kept sending, finally sending his own beloved son, whom the tenants also killed, yet ended with the turn that the stone the builders rejected became the head of the corner by the Lord's doing; for the parable shows God's patient persistence in sending his messengers and at last his Son to a people who rejected them, not giving up after the first rejection but reaching out even at the cost of his Son, and points to Christ himself, rejected and killed yet raised and made the cornerstone of God's whole saving work, so that the rejection did not defeat God's purpose but the rejected Christ became, by God's doing, the very foundation, and we can both marvel at God's patient reaching out to us even at great cost and take hope that the rejected Christ was vindicated and became the cornerstone on which God's saving work rests.

Lord Jesus, in the parable of the vineyard, you tell of an owner who patiently sends servant after servant, and finally his own beloved son, to a people who reject and kill them; and you point to a stone the builders rejected that became the cornerstone. The owner sent servants to receive the fruit, but the tenants beat and killed them; still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last, saying, they will respect my son. But they killed him too. Yet you end with a turn: the stone the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous. The parable shows God's patient, persistent sending, even of his own son, and points to you, the rejected one who became the cornerstone. Show me two things in this parable: God's patient persistence and your rejection and vindication. First, the owner's patience: he sends servant after servant, and though they are rejected, keeps sending, finally sending even his own beloved son, a striking picture of God's patient persistence. God did not give up after the first rejection, but kept reaching out, even at the cost of his Son. And second, the turn at the end: the stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone. This points to you, rejected and killed, yet raised and made the cornerstone of God's whole saving work. The rejection did not defeat God's purpose; you, the rejected Christ, became, by God's doing, the cornerstone. Take that to my heart, for God patiently persists in reaching out even to those who reject him, and you, though rejected, became the cornerstone by God's doing. Help me marvel at God's patient persistence in reaching out to me even at great cost, Lord, and rest on you, the once-rejected stone become cornerstone, on whom God's saving work is built, taking hope that rejection did not defeat God's purpose but was woven into his triumph.