Exaudi Thursday - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Thursday of Exaudi 
Numbers 16:41-17:13      Luke 20:1-18

From Luke's Gospel we read: Jesus began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time. 10 At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out. 13 The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that 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 destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!” 17 But Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

           ‘The stone which the builders rejected,

            This became the chief corner stone’?

 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

 Friends, Jesus is the stone the builder rejected, and in rejecting it, it becomes the chief corner stone – the stone which holds everything together.

Jesus is the stone rejected, and by rejecting Him – by taking Him before Pilate and calling for His crucifixion – He becomes the chief cornerstone. The whole foundation of The Church rests upon Christ, remove Christ and The Church crumbles.

What we will focus upon though for a few moments is the last verse, verse 18: “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” Another English translation renders it this way: Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (ESV)

It is my expectation in this devotion that maybe fewer words are necessary, and hoping I can accomplish that. I know what you’re thinking, so am I! Betting it isn’t going to happen!

There are two things which we are informed will happen, first there are those who fall on that Stone and are broken.

The other are those upon whom the Stone falls, and they are crushed, scattered like dust.

Have you ever fallen on Christ, been broken? I have! It happened last night during the Divine Service. It happened in the preparatory service when I confessed my sins. I was broken on Christ! My sinfulness was confessed, nothing held back.

Daily contrition and repentance is being broken on Christ. When our sins weigh heavy upon our heart, realizing who we have hurt, and how deeply, we break down in repentance. When we consider how we have blasphemed God, committing piling more sin upon the shoulders of the One who took our sins to the cross, we break down in repentance.

Yeah, being broken doesn’t sound all that great, but the alternative is being crushed.

In breaking down upon Christ in repentance, we trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins. Broken on Christ, we live! Broken on Christ, we are forgiven unto life everlasting, raised by Christ to a new life – a life lived in forgiveness in faith toward God and in fervent love toward one another.

On the last day, Christ will return, and all those who were not broken on Christ, those who did not break down in repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be crushed eternally.

It is Christ who is the Chief Cornerstone, it is He who builds His Church. It is He who gathers that which is broken and makes it whole, knit together in One body in Him who is the head.

Thanks be to God in, Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen.