Today's Passage - Luke 20:15-18

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 20:15-18   'So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.  What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.  When the people heard this, they said, "May this never be!"'  Jesus looked directly at them and asked, 'Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone?"  Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.'   The Lord said here that "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone."  This word was spoken about the Lord Himself.  From human perspective, Jesus is a rejected stone, because He was rejected by the Israelites, nailed on the cross, died and was buried.  Today, Jesus Christ is not in the grave, for He has resurrected from death for us, and because of His salvation we may enjoy all of God's grace today.  He became our first example and set the foundation for defeating sin; because He came out victorious, everyone who is in Him will also enjoy victory like He did.  That is why He's called the capstone, because all the subsequent stones will look like the capstone.   Perhaps you cannot see any resemblance between Jesus and yourself, but in the Lord you should have the assurance that one day, when the Lord reveals Himself, we will definitely be like Him.  When the Lord saved us, He already made us children of the Father God.  A child will surely reflect his father's form and characteristics, because his life is given by his father.  God calls us His children because He gave life to us.  No matter this stage of life you are in, and no matter whether you have no form of God at all, as long as you don't reject the work of God, His life will grow inside you until you are totally like Him.   When I read the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus before, I always felt fearful because the Lord sounded harsh.  Especially, in Matthew 5:48, the Lord said: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  My immediate reaction was, how could I possibly be perfect like Father God?  But now, I understand the meaning of being the children of God: It means that God has planted the seed for perfect life inside us; the seed needs to germinate, and one day we will grow up to be completely like Father God.  During the process, we can't be totally passive, but rather we need to actively work inside our heart with God.  This is a precious assurance: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone!"     Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you for the work that you have accomplished on the cross, so that we may enjoy the same victory that you have won.  Please come and open our heart, as we welcome your Holy Spirit to come and shape us until we are completely like you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!