**The Stone the Builders Rejected**
The sun rose over the hills of Jerusalem, casting golden rays across the city’s ancient stones. The streets were alive with the hum of pilgrims, merchants, and priests, all preparing for the great feast of Passover. Among the throngs of people, a man named Eliab walked with a heavy heart. He was a stonecutter, a humble craftsman who had spent his life shaping rocks into blocks for the temple’s construction. But today, he carried a burden heavier than any stone.
Eliab had been rejected. The master builders had dismissed his latest work, a finely chiseled cornerstone, declaring it flawed and unfit for the temple. “It’s too rough,” they said. “It doesn’t match our design.” Heartbroken, Eliab had dragged the stone to the edge of the quarry, where it now lay discarded, half-buried in the dirt.
As he walked through the city, Eliab’s mind wandered to the words of the psalmist, words he had heard sung in the temple courts: *“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”* (Psalm 118:22-23). The words echoed in his soul, but their meaning eluded him. How could a rejected stone become the cornerstone? It made no sense.
Meanwhile, in the temple courts, a crowd had gathered around a young rabbi from Nazareth. His name was Jesus, and His teachings had stirred both wonder and controversy. He spoke with authority, yet His words were filled with compassion. That day, He stood before the religious leaders, who questioned Him with suspicion in their eyes.
“By what authority are you doing these things?” they demanded, their voices sharp and accusing.
Jesus looked at them calmly, His gaze piercing yet gentle. “I will ask you one question,” He replied. “Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
The leaders hesitated, whispering among themselves. If they said it was from heaven, Jesus would ask why they didn’t believe John. If they said it was of human origin, they feared the crowd, who revered John as a prophet. Finally, they muttered, “We don’t know.”
Jesus nodded, His eyes filled with both sorrow and resolve. “Then neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things,” He said. Turning to the crowd, He began to speak in parables, weaving stories of vineyards, tenants, and a son who was rejected by his own people.
As the crowd listened intently, Jesus paused and quoted the ancient psalm: *“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”* He looked directly at the religious leaders, His words carrying a weight that silenced the murmurs of the crowd. “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”
The leaders seethed with anger, understanding that He was speaking against them. But the people marveled at His words, sensing a deeper truth hidden within them.
Days later, the city was in turmoil. Jesus had been arrested, tried, and crucified. His body was laid in a tomb, sealed with a heavy stone. The disciples were scattered, their hopes shattered. But on the third day, something extraordinary happened. The stone was rolled away, and the tomb was empty. Jesus had risen, just as He had promised.
As news of the resurrection spread, the disciples began to understand the meaning of the psalm. Jesus, the rejected stone, had become the cornerstone of God’s eternal kingdom. His death and resurrection were the foundation upon which the new temple—the Church—would be built.
Eliab, the stonecutter, heard the news and felt a stirring in his heart. He returned to the quarry, where his rejected stone still lay. Kneeling in the dirt, he brushed away the dust and examined the stone once more. In the light of the rising sun, he saw its true beauty—the intricate patterns, the strength of its form. He realized that the master builders had been wrong. This stone was not flawed; it was destined for something greater.
With renewed purpose, Eliab lifted the stone and carried it back to the temple. There, he presented it to the builders, who now recognized its worth. They placed it at the corner of the new foundation, where it stood as a testament to God’s wisdom and power.
Years later, as the early Church grew, the apostle Peter stood before the Sanhedrin, boldly proclaiming the name of Jesus. Quoting the same psalm, he declared, *“This Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”* (Acts 4:11-12).
And so, the rejected stone became the cornerstone, just as the psalmist had foretold. It was a story of redemption, of God’s power to turn rejection into glory, and of a love so vast that it could not be contained by death. The Lord had done this, and it was indeed marvelous in their eyes.
