Broken or Crushed?

 Luke 20:17 But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."

ὁ δὲ ἐμβλέψας αὐτοῖς εἶπεν· τί οὖν ἐστιν τὸ γεγραμμένον τοῦτο· λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας; 18  πᾶς ὁ πεσὼν ἐπ᾽ ἐκεῖνον τὸν λίθον συνθλασθήσεται· ἐφ᾽ ὃν δ᾽ ἂν πέσῃ, λικμήσει αὐτόν.

This is the end of Jesus' confrontation about His authority.  He asked the great question about John's baptism that put His questioners into a bind.  They didn't have a good answer for Him, so He didn't have to answer them.  Then He told the parable about the man who lent out his vineyard, but the workers beat everyone he sent including his son.

I find verse 18 particularly compelling.  I had a theory about it, but the commentaries prove me wrong.  Let me just go with what much smarter men than I have to say.  Basically, it doesn't matter whether you stumble over Jesus or if you have to wait for His judgment in the end.  Ultimately He is going to crush you.  My theory that I would extend a little bit is that part of salvation is this crushing.  We cannot be saved if we are not crushed.

So where are you going to stand?  Are you going to be crushed in the end or right now?  It's not a lot of fun right now, but it ultimately leads to everlasting joy.  Or you could settle for the fleeting pleasures that life has to offer and exchange everlasting joy for everlasting torment.  Which will it be?