47. Be Broken
Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind hi to powder.
Luke 20:18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
It may not look like a wonderful promise; it may not feel like something you really want; it may seem like such a good thing; but the promise of brokenness is a very beautiful thing. This is a conditional promise: ifyou fall on Jesus, thenyou will be broken. This is God’s desire for us and this is our desperate need. The self needs to be broken: the selfish soul must die; this breaking occurs when one repents of sin and self and believes in Christ. Then the life of God can come in and take over by giving life to the inner spirit;this renewed and resurrected spirit then begins to affect the sinful selfish soul, at least as much of it as the self will allow (as much as it is broken by trust in Jesus).
Jesus Christ is the center and focus of this saying: fall on Him in repentance and faith granted by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, OR, He (the stone) will fall on the impenitent and unbelieving and the self will be crushed, judged, and ground to powder. Either way, the Self will go: willingly, by being convinced of the judgment of self and sin on the cross, or unwillingly, at the final judgment of eternal damnation.
No one wants to be broken, but it is better than being ground to powder; no one wants to be broken, but it is necessary to give life to the soul; no one wants to be broken, but it is the only thing we can do with the flesh, crucify it; no one wants to be broken, but the forgiveness of sins, eternal salvation and the gift of the very life of God makes it more than worthwhile. There is nothing anyone can do about the sinful, selfish nature: it will be judged either at the cross or at the Judgment Day.
The promise of brokenness is truly wonderful when we consider the alternative: being ground to powder. The promise of brokenness is truly wonderful when we consider the consequences: eternal life and salvation. The promise of brokenness is truly wonderful when we consider the result: a new man and a renewed spirit.