A common misinterpretation views this verse merely as a general proverb about unexpected success or vindication after rejection, stripping it of its messianic context and failing to recognize Jesus' self-identification as the rejected stone exalted by God; others might use it to justify antagonism toward authority figures without acknowledging the call to faith in Christ as the cornerstone or the sobering warning of judgment for those who persist in rejection.
Luke 20:17
King James Version (1769)
17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
In this passage, Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 to affirm his identity as the divine cornerstone rejected by the religious leaders, whom he portrays as unfaithful builders, yet appointed by God to be the foundational head of the corner, underscoring his ultimate exaltation, authority, and indispensability in God's redemptive plan despite human opposition.