The Cost Is Too High For Many

"The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes." Matthew 21:42 The context of this verse is the continuing conversation the Lord was having with the Pharisees. He was telling them outright that they, the builders, will reject the One upon whom all is built, and in fact, this rejected stone will turn out to actually be the Cornerstone. They understood what he was saying, that HE is the One upon whom all is built, and that HE is the Cornerstone. Yet they continued to reject him because they feared he was going to take over the hearts of the people. In fact, when he said this, they decided in their hearts that they must kill him. Vs 45-46: "Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet." Why were the Pharisees so adamant in their intent to destroy him? Well, for them the stakes were too high. Here comes this proselytizer whom the crowds are following, yet toward themselves Jesus had only scathing criticism. They feared he was going to take over and they'd lose their positions of honor and glory in the eyes of the people, not to mention the financial support the people brought. The cost was way too high, they had to get rid of him. Friends, the cost of following Jesus Christ indeed is high. You might lose everything. You might gain the scorn of family and friends. These Pharisees just couldn't accept the price, so they turned against him, and that is what the world is doing today, they're trying to banish all reference to him everywhere. His way is just too narrow for them. When one surrenders his life to the Lord Jesus Christ, a whole new story is initiated. He demands to be Lord. Lord over all. It's all or nothing. "Christ is either Lord of all, or he is not Lord at all." ~Hudson Taylor But the alternative is far more dire. Vs 44: “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” If you fall upon this stone, you WILL be broken. But the intent of the breaking is to deliver you from yourself. The one thing people don't realize is that the Lord doesn't break you because he likes breaking people. He breaks you because he intends to remake you. What you are up to this point is the accumulation of all that has gone into your development as you were influenced by the world, the flesh, and the devil. We live in a FALLEN human nature, and the Lord can't leave us like this. He LOVES us too much ...to leave us as we are. For those who will surrender to him, they will be remade into something beautiful, they will be brought to their highest potential in him. And when they see what he has done in them they will marvel, and they will come to love him above all. But for those who reject him, they will be ground to powder, they will be destroyed. Make the right choice, for you will live with the choice you make ...for all eternity. More: Who Is Jesus Christ?