Alright Ladies. Our new goal is to discuss the chapter as we study it. So, this week we will be studying Luke Chapter 20. I look forward to reading what the Lord is teaching all of you as you study through this chapter.
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October 8th, 2009 at 9:30 am
My thoughts this morning was about Jesus having the perfect responses to his persecutors.
The scribes and priests were trying to trick Jesus into saying something that was punishable by law and in the first part of chapter 20, we see them asking Jesus by what authority is he able to “do these things”.
Our human nature would quickly jump in here and try to defend our actions and claim our authority, but our Lord answers with a question:
“By what authority did John baptize? Heaven or Men?”
Instead of the Scribes and Priests tricking Jesus, Jesus turned the tables on them!
Either way they answered this question would get them cornered!
Classic answer: “We don’t know.”
Who can trick God? How funny that we think we can withhold information from our Lord and be dishonest with our motivations-Jesus demonstrates, once again, the Father’s patience, wisdom and insight into our very heart’s intentions.
October 8th, 2009 at 9:59 am
OOOO, good comments, Sadie.
We have noticed that Jesus always has the perfect “comeback” and this is no exception. We can learn from Him that a “comeback” can be gentle but direct and the goal is to “turn the tables” by asking an antagonist to consider their own true motives and agenda. Of course, since we are not God, we need to consider our own true motives and agenda as well and be certain that we are not the one with the problem. Notice how in the parable he tells next, he catches them condemning themselves without even knowing it…interesting!
October 8th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
“perfect responses to His persecutors”…I like that : )
I want God’s wisdom.
October 9th, 2009 at 9:09 am
17 But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?*
Luke 20:18
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces,
and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
~~~
Didn’t I “fall” on that stone when I was saved?
Don’t I fall on that stone again and again when He corrects me because of my sin?
So why am I surprised when or that I am in a state of “being broken into pieces?
Why am I EVER in a state of being surprised that another human is being “broken into pieces?”
It makes me think more than twice about sinfully judging and having that weird, twisted, condemning grief about my own sinful condition (which is really just an adoption of worldly sinful judgment -towards myself).
May He pour His grace (and mercy) over us with His understanding.
October 9th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I am not sure I am following your question. I don’t think that the analogy quite goes where you are taking it, thus the confusion.
In this part of the Bible, I am getting that Jesus is referring to the problem of the Jews’ rejection of their “cornerstone”. So I have always thought that it referred to the results when Jesus is rejected by his people…they are broken and crushed.
Alternative applications of this to our personal condition may be stretching it.
What do you say, Ladies?
October 10th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Hi all,
I’m not part of the Tues. bible study but I love a good discussion!
I think Realitycheck moves in much mercy and compassion towards others, it is her gift according to Ro. 12:8. In light of that I don’t think her analogy is stretching it but what the Holy Spirit is showing her in those scriptures. That’s the beauty of being a body, we all feel different things from the head.
October 10th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Sue wrote: “So I have always thought that it referred to the results when Jesus is rejected by his people…they are broken and crushed.”
Exactly : )
I think my way of expressing myself is too shorthanded at times, and I leave out details, probably.
I meant that when I was saved, it was because I had been shown by God’s Spirit that I was rejected and crushed because of my sin, and I needed HIM to save me.
And in my todays, God still allows me to see that I am being rejected and crushed because of my non-compliance (out of ignorance or rebellion or whatever) to His ways.
October 10th, 2009 at 8:56 am
P.S.
I just read this Matthew Henry commentary on Luke 20:9-19:
“Christ spake this parable against those who resolved not to own his authority,
though the evidence of it was so full.
How many resemble the Jews who murdered the prophets and crucified Christ, in their enmity to God, and aversion to his service, desiring to live according to their lusts, without control!
Let all who are favoured with God’s word, look to it that they make proper use of their advantages.
Awful will be the doom, both of those who reject the Son, and of those who profess to reverence Him, yet render not the fruits in due season.
Though they could not but own that for such a sin, such a punishment was just, yet they could not bear to hear of it.
It is the folly of sinners, that they persevere in sinful ways, though they dread the destruction at the end of those ways.” -Matthew Henry
Though I did not express the very same thing, what Matthew Henry wrote is what I was trying to express (above), but from a personal responsibility standpoint.
October 10th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Hi Yaya!!
– you don’t have to attend the Tuesday morning Bible study in order to be a part of this discussion. This online portion of the study was so that people who are unable to make 2 hour commitment or fall ill or miss study for some other reason, can still fellowship over God’s word in unity. Yay! Please keep coming!
As to the cornerstone discussion, Matthew Henry says,
“Even those that slight him, that stumble at him, and are offended in him, shall be broken—it will be their ruin; but as to those that not only reject him, but hate and persecute him, as the Jews did, he will fall upon them and crush them to pieces—will grind them to powder. The condemnation of spiteful persecutors will be much sorer than that of careless unbelievers.”
I’m seeing the cornerstone passages to be speaking to the Jews specifically and then in a broader context: God’s enemies.
I’m seeing “spiteful persecutors” and “careless un believers” here. I’m not seeing a healing pattern of a spiritual relationship with Christ indwelling in me.
I’m seeing this passage of the cornerstone falling on the enemies to crush them.
~S
October 10th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
We posted at the same time Becky.
~S
October 10th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Yay! Can I say that I was super excited when I went to the site, and I noticed that there were 10 comments posted! This is awesome. Welcome Yaya! Thank you Realitycheck for always encouraging us to make a personal application (I love it).
I really hadn’t honed in on the “Cornerstone” passage. Thank you ladies for the inspiration. That’s why I am so excited about interacting with all of you. I don’t think that I could possible add anything. But, I was prompted to start looking up other passages regarding the Cornerstone and thought that I would post my favorites.
I Peter 2:4-8
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”
8 and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
Romans 9:30-33
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written,
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
Christ is the Chief Cornerstone of the building that we are a part. We are built upon Him. For us, on this side of the cross, on the side of salvation, as those who have believed, He is not a stone of stumbling, He is our precious cornerstone, foundation & strength and we will not be disappointed.