Skip to reading
Atomic Bible
Luke 20:18
Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
from The Parable of the Wicked Tenants, Luke 20:9-18
What it says

The stone breaks those who fall on it and crushes the one on whom it falls.

What it is doing

The image condenses both stumbling and crushing judgment.

In context

9Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time. 10At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. 11So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed. 12Then he sent a third, but they wounded him and threw him out. 13‘What shall I do?’ asked the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’ 14But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 16What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” 17But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: 18Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”