‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.’

Devotion based on Luke 20:17

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In 2006, a fishing crew from the Philippines got stuck in a big storm. The boat’s anchor got caught on something, and they couldn’t move.

One of the fishermen dove down to the bottom to free the anchor. When he got there, he found the anchor stuck on a giant clam. As he freed the anchor, he discovered something in the clam—a huge, oddly shaped pearl, almost two feet long and weighing nearly 75 pounds! He brought it home and put it under his bed for good luck.

In 2016, when the fisherman moved, he gave the pearl to a friend to keep safe. That’s when he found out that the pearl was the biggest one in the world and worth over $100,000,000!

For ten years, the pearl sat under his bed because he didn’t realize how valuable it was.

Just like in the story Jesus told about the evil tenants, the people of Israel in the Old Testament rejected God’s messengers, the prophets, over and over. When God finally sent his Son, Jesus, they rejected him too, even though they killed him on the cross.

They rejected Jesus because he wasn’t what they wanted him to be. They didn’t realize how much he was worth. In today’s reading, Jesus quoted a verse from Psalm 118: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

A long time ago, the cornerstone was the most important stone. It was the first stone builders used when they started a building. All the other stones depended on it.

Even though Jesus was the most important stone, the people of Israel rejected him. Like the fisherman’s pearl, they thought he wasn’t worth very much.

Sometimes, we can forget how valuable Jesus is. We can get so busy with school, sports, and everything else that we forget about him during the week. We go to church on Sundays but then don’t think about or talk to him the rest of the week.

We don’t completely reject Jesus like the Israelites did, but we forget he’s worth more than a $100,000,000 pearl. Without Jesus, we wouldn’t exist. Without him, we couldn’t live or breathe. Without Jesus, we would be lost forever.

Jesus is the most important stone.

Dear Jesus, thank you for everything you give us—our lives, our families, and everything we own. Thank you especially for dying for our sins on the cross and giving us heaven. Help us always remember how special and valuable you are. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above