Matthew 21:33-46

As I went down to the river to pray
Studying about that good ol’ way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way

This is the song we sang to begin our worship at the river front over the summer.  It was the same song that came to me as I was down by the river earlier this week.  I’ve been known to hike up on the mountains to find inspiration, but sometimes all you can do is drag yourself down to the river.

It was on Thursday afternoon, during a small window between the storms.  Since late summer, Beacon has felt more like Seattle, with the days of rain far outnumbering the sunshine.  On the way to the River front park, I came to about six inches of rainwater that had flooded the train station parking lot.  I stopped briefly, then drove through, knowing that I had to seize the moment.

The storm clouds were gathering in the west, across the river.  But, on the river itself, the sun’s rays poured down, reflecting tiny diamonds of light off the ripples.  The highlands to the south were wrapped in mist that seemed illuminated in gold.  

The river water lapped the large rocks and the point of the park.  They are the kind of large rocks that people like to climb on, and on low tide one can travel way out into the water by hopping from rock to rock.  But, these wet rocks can be pretty slick.  You have to take care not to fall.

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” Jesus says, “The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces.”  

Our new testament reading for today is yet another one of Jesus’ parables that confront the religious leaders during his last week before the crucifixion.  In the parable, God has planted a vineyard and left it in the hands of the religious leaders.  When it was time to give God what was due, they beat up and killed God’s collectors.  The reference was thinly veiled.  Everyone knew what had been done to the prophets over the years - the ones who reminded the people of God’s priority.  They had been killed.

This happened repeatedly, until God decided to send his son saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

Days before his death, Jesus has no doubt that he will receive the same fate as the prophets.  And, he points the finger directly at the religious leaders who are too busy protecting their own interests, too busy serving themselves, to harvest the fruits for God’s kingdom.

And, we hear about the stone that the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone... which is an image that has stuck with me over the years.  It’s beautiful, and powerful, a rejected stone - by God’s grace and purpose, serving such an important role in the structure.

However, this week was the first time that I took seriously the lines that followed it: “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.  The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

The message is hauntingly clear: we are expected to produce fruits for the kingdom.  

The unavoidable question is, are we - as individuals and as a congregation - producing the fruits of the kingdom?

Let that question sit with you for a while.  

In our Old Testament scripture lesson, we heard about those cherished ten commandments, given by God - the guidelines of living for the people of God.  Surely, by following these commandments, we might bear fruit.

Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, it’s easier said than done.  

You shall have no other gods before me.  Really?  Is God really our top priority?  Is God even in the top ten of our priorities... when we think about our commitments of time, money, and energy?

You shall not make for yourself an idol.  We have made all kinds of things that we put our trust in and that we expect to provide for us... money, military might, governments.  How is that going for us right now?

How many times have you dishonored the name of God?  And, how’s that Sabbath rest coming?  Remember, that commandment to drop everything and let God take care of us.  How often do we do that?  Hmmm, how well do we care for the , for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

Do I need to go any further?  How are you doing with honoring your father and mother if they are still on this earth?  How are you doing with that if they are no longer with you?

I don’t even want to get into all those “you shall nots” because it just gets downright uncomfortable... depressing, even.  We are - if we are honest with ourselves - deceitful, covetous, greedy, and opportunistic.  And, whether we want to admit to it, there’s blood on our hands.

Is it any wonder then, that the people were terrified when God gave them these laws?  Scripture says that they were afraid of the thunder and lightning, and that they trembled and stood at a distance and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.”

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.”

After about a half an hour down at the river front park, the wind picked up.  The storm clouds were moving East quickly and Newburgh was engulfed in the blur of falling rain.  I had just enough time to get to the car before we were engulfed, too.

It was beautiful and powerful and I found myself grateful... for a God of such beauty and power.  Grateful for a God brought the chosen people out of slavery and who calls each of us to freedom even today.  Grateful for a God who is so much more than our sins and our struggles.  Grateful for a God that chose to take on flesh and walk among us... healing us... showing us the way... even if it meant rejection and death.  Grateful for the cornerstone... the stone that the builder rejected.

Those Pharisees, they were too busy calculating their own self-preservation, instead of opening up... instead of letting go... to God in their midst.  Holding their ground, stuck in their places, they were setting themselves up to be crushed under the cornerstone.   But, what if, instead of holding their ground, they were to let go... to fall... to fall as the scripture says... to be broken by the cornerstone.

Maybe that’s the deep invitation in all of this... to dare let go... to dare to fall... to dare to let ourselves be broken open on the cornerstone.  Maybe it’s in the broken soil of our broken souls that the seeds for the fruit of the kingdom are planted.

Oh, sinners let’s go down
Let’s go down, don’t you wanna come down?
Oh, sinners let’s go down
Down to the river to pray.

As I went down to the river to pray
Studying about that good ol’ way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way