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Explanation for:
Matthew
21
:
44
And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"To illustrate the seriousness of their impending rejection, Christ highlights the nature of judgment: \\"whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, and on whom it falls shall be crushed.\\" In this, Christ conveys a duality of destruction—one through stumbling and temptation, implied by “he shall fall on this stone,” and the other, resulting from captivity, disaster, and total desolation, explicitly captured in “he shall be crushed.” These same words also allude to His resurrection.\\n\\nThe prophet Isaiah articulates criticism of the vineyard, representing the people, and here, Christ addresses the leaders among them. Isaiah poses the question: \\"What more should I have done for My vineyard that I have not done to it?” (Isaiah 5:4). Another prophet queries, \\"What unrighteousness have your fathers found in Me?\\" (Jer. 2:5). Similarly, He asks, \\"My people, what have I done to you, and what have I burdened you with?\\" (Micah 6:3). Through these passages, He illustrates the ingratitude of the Jewish nation, which, despite receiving His numerous blessings, responded with actions contrary to His will.\\n\\nHere, the sentiment is expressed even more powerfully. Instead of directly questioning, \\"What more should I have done ... that I have not done?\\" He envisions the people themselves pronouncing judgment, recognizing that everything was done for their benefit, and in doing so, they condemn themselves. Their assertion, \\"These evildoers shall be put to an evil death, and the vineyard shall be given to other vinedressers,\\" signifies that they have declared the harshest judgment upon themselves. \\n\\nStephen challenges them, particularly highlighting their ungratefulness in light of God's abundant care, as they responded to their Benefactor with opposition (Acts 7:51-52). This served as evident proof that it was not the One inflicting punishment, but they themselves, who were responsible for their own downfall. This point is reinforced through both parable and prophecy. Christ does not rely solely on a parable; He cites two prophecies, one from David and another pertaining to Himself. \\n\\nWhat should the Jews have done upon hearing this? Should they not have worshipped the Lord? Should they not have been in awe of God's providence, both in their history and in their present? If they could not be swayed by His kindness, should they not have been stirred to repentance by the threat of judgment? Yet, they remained unmoved."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Those who stumble upon this rock will be shattered, and those upon whom it falls will be ground to dust. - Offending Christ through wicked actions differs significantly from outright rejecting Him. A person who sins yet maintains belief in Him does indeed encounter the stone and experiences a breaking, but ultimately they are not destroyed, as through repentance they are safeguarded in salvation. Conversely, the individual upon whom He falls—meaning those who outright renounce Christ—will face utter destruction, leaving no remnant from which to extract even a drop of water."},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"He instructs that He is indeed this rock, and due to humanity's frailty, He states, ‘Whosoever stumbles at it shall be broken, and on whom it falls shall be crushed and broken.’ The rulers of the people conspired against Him, seeking His ruin because His doctrine was displeasing to them. It is noted, ‘on whom ... shall fall upon, he shall crush and break,’ as He vanquished idolatry and similar falsehoods. The stone that shattered the statue grew into a vast mountain, filling the entire earth (Dan. 2:35)."},{"author-name":"Anonymous Commentary (Opus Imperfectum)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"A person who has engaged in a significant wrongdoing is likely to commit an even graver sin since he has lost hope in God. As it is written, \\"With the coming of the wicked comes contempt\\" (Proverbs 18:3). Just as a sick individual, despite intense suffering, anticipates healing and avoids food that would harm him, the one who recognizes his own incurable state will not place limits on his actions. Likewise, an individual who sins only slightly may still hold onto the possibility of redemption and strives to avoid additional transgressions; however, if he has committed severe sins and loses hope, he is undoubtedly aware that he is subject to God’s judgment for his actions. Oh, unfortunate fool! Just as there is a hierarchy of punishment for wrongdoing—where everyone receives consequences in accordance with the severity of their actions—there is also a scale of glory for the good, with each person receiving honor proportionate to their deeds. The chief priests of the Old Testament, having given up their faith in God due to their abundance of wickedness, turned against God Himself, fully aware that Christ was the Son of God, and no longer held back from committing evil deeds. Does this astonish you? Every man who embraces evil, by his own choice, raises his hand against God, as if to condemn Him. Anyone who refuses to cease provoking God's wrath violates His commandments, scorns His name, speaks blasphemies, grumbles against God, gazes upward in displeasure, and points in anger at God—if it were within his power, he would seek to eliminate God to indulge in sin without consequence."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Jewish people, having tripped over the cornerstone of Christ, will face destruction at His return, although they are already suffering this fate, scattered throughout the world as evidenced by the plight of the Jewish community today. This disbursal is what is referred to by the term ‘crush,’ indicating their dispersion."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Anyone who comes into contact with this rock will be shattered... Those who trip over it will inflict harm upon themselves, not upon Him, as the high priests, the scribes, and the elders of the community discovered. And upon those who wrap themselves in Him, their burdens will be removed. Those upon whom He descends with His weight, signifying His displeasure, will be reduced, scattered, and expelled, which came to pass for the entire Jewish nation that was surrendered to Roman soldiers to be ravaged."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"And ANYONE WHO FALLS ON THIS STONE WILL BE BROKEN; AND ANYONE ON WHOM IT FALLS WILL BE CRUSHED. St. Chrysostom explains that in this passage, Jesus Christ illustrates two forms of destruction: one caused by stumbling and temptation, indicated by the phrase about falling on the stone; and the other, involving captivity, disaster, and ultimate ruin, clearly conveyed in the notion of being crushed. This also alludes to His resurrection. Those who stumbled over the Stone were led astray by the humility of Christ and faced spiritual ruin. Conversely, those upon whom the stone falls were unrepentant adversaries of Christ, fully aware of His identity, yet resolutely arrayed against Him until the end. While the one who stumbles may rise again, albeit not without pain, and the tempted individual can regain clarity and repent, the one on whom the stone falls from heaven will be shattered, reduced to nothing like chaff on a summer threshing floor (Dan. 2: 35), ultimately facing eternal demise. The adversaries of Christ themselves declared their own condemnation, signifying that it was not the Punisher, but the punished who were culpable for the judgment that befell them, as St. Chrysostom remarks. One can only envision the shame, confusion, and fury that overwhelmed the messengers of the Sanhedrin in response to the Lord's stern words."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Utilizing the metaphor of a stone once more, the Lord illustrates the fate of those who resist Him. “Whosoever shall fall shall be broken”: here, the Lord identifies Himself as a cornerstone that causes many to stumble (cf. Isaiah 8:15). Those who trip over it, who are led to perceive Him merely as the Messiah without recognizing His true nature, will face spiritual destruction. “And on whom it falls, it will crush”: those who refuse to repent will experience condemnation leading to their spiritual downfall. This pertains to both the judgement occurring in the present age and the impending universal judgement to come."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In discussing the stone that was rejected by the builders, Jesus questioned, \\"Have you never read in the Scriptures that the stone rejected by the builders will become the chief cornerstone, and that this will come about through God's plan, astonishing all?\\" He continued, \\"Thus, everyone who stumbles upon this stone will be broken, and if it falls upon someone, it will crush them.\\" He declared that because they had rejected this stone, the kingdom of God would be taken from them and granted to a nation that produces its fruits. Jesus’ reference to the rejected stone connects to Psalm 117 and Isaiah 8:13-15. \\n\\nArchbishop Innocent interprets these insights as follows: Psalm 117 expresses David's gratitude to God in the temple after his enemies were defeated. The Jewish nation is likened to a structure built by Saul and the leaders of the twelve tribes. The stone they rejected symbolizes David, whom God raised to the position of the chief cornerstone—elevating him as king and granting him victory. As David serves as a precursor to the Messiah, significant aspects of his reign and personal journey have a profound connection to Jesus Christ. It is likely that Jesus had in mind the prophecy from Isaiah (Isaiah 8:14-15) which states: \\"And He (the Lord of hosts) shall be a sanctuary, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense to both houses of Israel... and many shall stumble and fall, and be broken.\\" Here, Jesus identified Himself as the stone. Those who stumble upon this stone include Jews who, due to His humble appearance, did not embrace His teachings. Their path to repentance was within reach, resulting in the loss of their privileges alone. However, there were others among the disbelievers upon whom the stone would fall with crushing weight, having committed sins not from weakness or lack of knowledge, but out of willful disobedience; they were unrepentant and thus unworthy of forgiveness. A devastating consequence of such rejection was witnessed in the destruction of Jerusalem."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Lord proclaimed, “For this reason I tell you that the dominion of God will be taken from you and transferred to the voice that produces its fruits. This spiritual Israel will comprise the offspring of Abraham through faith, encompassing not only the Jewish people but also the Gentiles. Due to their continual disbelief, the Jews have spurned the cornerstone, ultimately to their own harm, as those who stumble upon that stone will be shattered, and it will crush anyone who falls upon it. Some were led to stumble over the stone, lured by the humble appearance of the God-Man; these individuals, having forfeited their blessed participation in the Kingdom of Christ, suffered significant losses. Others, who remained obstinate in their disbelief—not out of ignorance but out of malice and hardened hearts—were preparing themselves for inevitable ruin. The heavy blow of this unyielding stone was felt by the faithless Jews when the Romans subjugated them, and all who mimic their lack of faith will face similar consequences at the final judgment."}]}
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