God Desires His People to Have a Broken and Contrite Heart

In the Parable of the Vine-growers in Luke 20:1-19, Jesus teaches that judgment will come upon the nation of Israel because they rejected the Messiah, the Son of God. The crowd's response was: "God Forbid." The Lord then explains that He is the One the Psalmist references in Psalm 118:22, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE’ (Luke 20:17). Peter the Apostle states a similar message. “Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” (1 Peter 2:7).

Jesus then presented two options to those listening to the prophetic parable: "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust” (Luke 20:18, emphasis added). Some will be broken, while others will be crushed by the stone. What did He mean? Why would God want us to have a broken spirit? In what ways can a broken spirit be a blessing? Can you recall a time when God visited you in your brokenness? Did that experience make you more receptive to spiritual things?

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise (Psalm 51:17).

Only through our brokenness will we begin to rely on and lean on Christ. Our pride and self-confidence keep the Messiah at arm’s length. He will not force His way into our lives. The Lord desires us to come to Him and have our selfish will broken. The great English preacher C.H. Spurgeon once said, "When God wants to do an impossible task, He takes an impossible man and breaks him. We are but men, frail, feeble, and apt to faint." Charles Swindoll comments on Spurgeon's thought in this way:

I am intrigued by the word ‘broken.’ ‘It means, literally, ‘shattered.’ My sacrifice to God, according to Psalm 51:17, is a shattered spirit and a bruised heart. It is not until the pride of our hearts is shattered that we will begin to understand the deep things of God.^[1]

It is better to be broken and humble before God rather than allow life to break us down because of our painful choices. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (John 1:9). We can fall on the stone in repentance, brokenness, and adoration, or the stone will fall on us, crushing us in judgment. That was the choice before the listening leaders of Israel. Peter the Apostle wrote:

⁴As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:4-6).

When you are faced with the truth of Jesus' words, you, too, must decide. Will you let Christ's words find a place in your heart? Will you open the gate of your soul? We will all respond to the claims of Christ's authority in one way or another. In chapters 19 and 20 of Luke, we catch a glimpse of a different Jesus than the one you may have pictured. We saw His passion as He wept with unrestrained, heaving sobs over Israel. We saw His anger and courage as He purified the Temple and challenged the unjust authority there. We saw His tenderness alongside remarkable bravery. What a wonderful Savior we have in our Lord Jesus!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I acknowledge Your authority as the Great I Am. Open my eyes to deepen my knowledge of You. I desire Your truth to fill my soul. I trust that You have my best interests at heart and that there is nothing I can hide from You. Give me a fresh understanding of Your Word and Your ways. Transform me through Your words of life. Amen. Keith Thomas

Taken from the 66 free study series in the Book of Luke. Click study 53—the Parable of the Vine-Growers.

^[1] Chuck Swindoll, Men of Action, What it Means to Be Broken, Spring 1996.