Friday of the Second Week of Lent
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes”
Jesus refers to this passage from Psalm 118 in today’s Gospel after sharing the parable of the farmer whose servants and son are all killed by the greedy tenants of his vineyard. When Jesus asks the chief priests and Pharisees if they have ever heard this Scripture, they understand the connection between the parable and their lived experience. Perhaps it is easy enough for us, living over two thousand years later, to see the truth of this psalm throughout scripture. In today’s first reading, we hear about Joseph, rejected by his brothers and sold to the Ishmaelites. Although we don’t hear the whole story today, we know how it ends, with Joseph, the rejected stone, becoming a cornerstone to save Egypt during a famine. We know the parable that Jesus shares in today’s Gospel actually refers to him, the son of God, rejected and crucified, the cornerstone of our salvation. We can probably think of other examples throughout history of heroes who were once rejected by society but persevered to achieve something incredible, something wonderful in the eyes of God.
But how do we fit in? Do we see the truth of this psalm in our lived experiences today? Have you ever experienced rejection? What did it feel like and how did you respond? Have you ever rejected someone else? Why? Who are the rejected in our society today?
In 2018, Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II of the Poor People’s Campaign delivered a sermon at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, which is now published in a short little book, We Are Called to Be a Movement. In it, he quotes Psalm 118 and says, “The rejected must lead the revival for love and justice” and “rejected stones make the best cornerstones.” He makes the case that in our country today, “the politics of rejection and policy violence against the poor are still far too real.” Of all the examples he shared, the two that were most striking to me were that in America, “we spend 53 cents of every dollar on war - and only 15 cents on education and health care” and “families in Flint, Michigan, like four million other families all over America, can buy unleaded gas but can’t buy unleaded water for their children.”
There are millions of rejected stones in our world today; people who are rejected because of their poverty, religious beliefs, gender identity, sexual orientation, country of origin, immigration status, and any number of other factors. As we continue our Lenten journeys, let us take some time to consider how we stand in solidarity with them. How can we become more aware of people in our very midst who are rejected? How can we turn our fasting, prayer, and almsgiving into sharing of our time, talent, and treasure to produce fruit in God’s vineyard today?
Peace,
LeeAnn Meyer