The  First  Sunday  of  Easter  2010

Acts 5:27-32                        Ps 118:14-29                        Rev 1:4-8                        Jn 20:19-31

            The recent Bar Mitzvah of Wally Huron reminded me of something that happened about ten years ago at our Community retreat. Wally was then about four or five years old. At the end of a retreat session, Wally and another young child started banging on a piano. I hate that kind of noise. When I told them to stop, the other child just walked away. Wally, however, looked me straight in the eye, and in a New York City voice said: “Forget about it.” Later it will become clear why I told you this story.
            Today in Psalm 118 we heard these words:  The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone [v. 22, Eng. Standard version]. Stones — or rocks if you prefer — both the real thing and the biblical references to them — have played an important role in my life. When I was a little boy, there was a decaying tree stump in our backyard; and with the help of a tool to dig into the stump plus rocks and sticks,  I would  build little roads and houses. When I was ordained, I was given enough money to have a chalice made to my design; and on the base there was a cross, and in the middle of the cross was a stone — a diamond that my mother gave me.  Many years later  I built a real house, at the center of which was a chimney made of native unpolished rocks — a chimney six feet in diameter and 24 feet tall. It took 12 weeks to build. When the house was habitable, Barbara and I would spend an occasional weekend there. During such a weekend one of our jobs was to gather and put rocks in the many ruts in the dirt road that led through the pasture and up to the house. Finally, one of the Hayden family stories is about my brother Hilary, who is a Catholic priest. He once agreed to serve as a weekend substitute for a pastor in Norfolk, Virginia. Hilary arrived late Friday afternoon; and when dinner time arrived, the assistant pastor — a young man newly out of seminary — asked Hilary if he wanted a drink before dinner. So Hilary said: “Yes, scotch on the rocks.” The young assistant then replied: “Ah, how do you make that?” I do have one other personal reference to stones, but I will get to that later.
            Meanwhile, back to the bible. In addition to Ps. 118 there is another passage in the Old Testament about cornerstones. Here is Isaiah 28:16: … I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem. It is firm, a tested and precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. [New Living Translation] Both passages — the psalm and Isaiah — are quoted in the New Testament. Strangely, in the First Epistle of Peter [2:7f] the author quotes both passages in succession; and the implication is that both refer somehow to Jesus. Even more strangely, Jesus himself quotes Ps. 118. In the gospel of Matthew [21:23-45], Jesus tells the priests and elders the parable about the landowner who rented his farm to some tenants who failed to pay their rent. So the owner sent servants, who were murdered by the tenants, then sent his own son, who was also murdered. At the end of the parable Jesus says: Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.’
A reasonable question is this: Do the psalm and the text from Isaiah really have anything to do with Jesus? Commentators tell us that Isaiah in this passage is not talking about a messiah. Rather, he is heaping scorn on the false prophets who drink too much and then talk about forming an alliance with Egypt. In the words of the Abingdon Bible Commentary, Isaiah reminds those false prophets that “… the only sure foundation is in Jehovah’s purpose toward his people, and that all other forms of refuge will be swept away.” [The Abingdon Bible Commentary]
The line from Psalm 118 is trickier. The first thing to notice is that what we call a cornerstone is nothing but a plaque honoring the Mayor or the Governor or some other powerful person; and it is not even placed at the corner. The ancient cornerstone was the first stone to be put in place, at the corner, with sight lines carefully arranged. If the cornerstone is not quite right, then the building will not be quite right. It’s very important.
Robert Alter in his comments on Psalm 118 tells us that it is a processional psalm. It starts with praises for Yahweh. Then the author implies that he had been a terrible sinner and has been banished from the community. In verse 18 he says: Though Yahweh punished me sternly, he did not abandon me to death. So when the author reaches one of the gates that lead to the inner part of the temple — where only Jews in good standing may enter — he compares himself to a stone that had initially been rejected by the builders, just as he had been rejected by the community because of his sinfulness. Now, however, he walks proudly through the gate because he is person in good standing, as good as anybody, good enough to be the cornerstone.
Does this little literary drama sound like Jesus? Well, there are three aspects to this story. The first is that the author of the psalm went through a bad patch in his life. That clearly does not apply to Jesus, so Jesus simply ignores that part.
The second aspect is that the author of the psalm was rejected by his community. Jesus was rejected not only by the powers-that-be in Jerusalem but even in his own hometown. In the Matthew passage that I referred to, Jesus wants to make it very clear that the chief priests and the elders are not merely having a fun theological debate with him, they are rejecting him. So Jesus ends up by saying: … the kingdom of God will be taken from you [Mt. 21:43].
The third aspect is the most telling. Jesus knows that he is to be the cornerstone of the New Jerusalem. He is to be the foundation of all of God’s work in the world — hence the classic line: The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ Our Lord. I think it is perfectly clear that Jesus had every right to quote Psalm 118 and to apply it to himself.
I mentioned earlier that there is one other reason why stone resonates for me. In my thirties I gradually discovered that I had very little understanding of people and a very limited ability to relate to people. Therefore I had no business presenting myself as monk and priest, whose job is focused on people. I considered myself a stone that the builders should have rejected but failed to do so. Because of that and other reasons, I rejected myself: rejected and ejected.
However, I don’t want to dwell on my life story. I want to encourage you to meditate on your life story. For example, you know how TV interviewers often ask intrusive questions. Imagine someone saying to you: Well now, tell me the three best things that you ever did and also the three worst things. I would never answer such a question, and you probably would not either. However, if you ask yourself that question, you might find the results interesting and informative. De facto, you have done some good things, and you have done some bad things; and it’s hard to be honest with yourself about both the good things and the bad things.
When you think of the bad things you have done, does that make you feel rejected by others or by yourself? The most important thing is to remember that you have never been rejected by God. God has said to you a thousand times in the Old and New Testaments: Look, I know all your weaknesses, I know all the good things you have failed to do, I know all the bad things you have actually done; and my advice to you is this: Forget about it. God says: I know all these things, and I still love you. God says:  I don’t expect nonstop successes from you, I just expect you to keep on trying. Isn’t that amazing. Amazing.

Dunstan Hayden
April 11, 2010