Lent V

+ The Fifth Sunday in Lent +
March 21, 2010
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (Luke 20:18)

Everyone will be broken or crushed. Those who believe in him must fall into the brokenness of repentance in order to be raised again as new beings, living stones in Christ, the temple of God. But upon unbelievers comes the crushing blow of judgment….those who stumble over Jesus will receive the judgment precipitated by rejection of him, and when the stone falls on them they will be utterly crushed (Just’s Commentary on Luke). “We preach Christ crucified – a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (I Cor. 1:23).
The power of the cross reminds us that unless we share in the humility of Christ we cannot share His glory.
1. The curse of being crushed
a. Crushed by sin and death -- universal
b. Crushed by the final judgment -- particular


2. The blessing of being broken
a. Brought to the end of self – Fireproof!
b. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Living sacrifices look like???