The Bible verse—This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!—is used often in many Calls to Worship on Sunday. This verse is from Psalm 118.24. Some hymns also begin with this verse to encourage believers to sing with joy and raise their hands to praise the Lord. If it’s up to the believers to come up with why they rejoice, their reasons may be distinct. Some people are glad because they don’t have to go to work on Sunday, while others are happy because they are healthy and can participate in worship.
According to the context of Psalm 118, the preceding verses say, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Luke 20.17- 18 and Acts 4.10-11 record the understanding of Jesus and his disciples about the verses. The abandoned stone refers to Jesus. We are to rejoice that Jesus, who was forsaken by the world, is now the Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords.
From the human perspective, we love to root for the underdog because it is difficult for us to identify with the winner since most of us generally don’t win all the time. We like to see someone who was bullied becomes a great leader, a student who dropped out of school later becomes a rich man, and the story of Cinderella, an orphan turning into a princess. We love it when justice is manifested, hard work pays off, or heroes are in the making. We like to be inspired. However, unless you have been abandoned, then achieve your dream against all odds, you may not fully appreciate the verses about the rejected stone and the wonderful deeds of God.
Numerous people in history were forsaken by their beloved countries, churches, parties, relatives, or friends. If it were me, the first reaction would be how to seek my revenge, then to work hard to prove myself. Christ doesn’t need to prove himself, His love for us never changes. He is the capstone, yet He never forces anyone to believe in Him. He just let us make our own decisions. Are we going to believe in Him so that our lives can be changed for the better? Or are we going to hold on to our sins and receive condemnation from God?
As for me, I rejoice because Christ Jesus is glorified, and I marvel at God’s plan and works. At the same time, I rejoice because God has forgiven my sins, and I’m being built up to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
You may have been abandoned by people, but God will never abandon you.
(Ken, retired pastor. Ken served in 3 different churches from 1987-2020.)
