Palm Sunday

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The Very Stones would Cry Out!

What does Christ mean when he says the very stones would cry out? Would stones start shouting God’s name? I believe there is a two-fold sense of what Christ is declaring here. He is first declaring that if his apostles did not cry out, someone else will, someone else would be called to shout. Another thing I believe is being said is that even if all of Christ’s followers stopped speaking, creation itself would groan and cry for God’s Justice, that people would still incline towards his Kingdom without realizing it. It is not an abolution of our call, but a declaration that you can’t stop the intercession of the Kingdom into our world. If God had only stones to work with, he would find a way. It is hyperbole to suggest the Kingdom is infinitely more powerful than anything the Pharisees could ever hope to achieve. Do we live like this? Sure, during the good weeks we praise Hosanna, but on the bad weeks, when numbers look bad, when our own lives feel like they are falling apart, when the world seems like it can’t be in anymore turmoil than it already is, do we act like inthose moments of darkness that indeed the Rocks will cry out where injustices are ignored, where the hungry are ignored? There are weeks I see things and become so disgusted at what the world has become, how we have turned on each other, for potential short term gain, how we are so quick to accuse our neighbor, or talk about them behind their backs. I was always told this behavior would be outgrown after leaving high school, no, instead the high school just got bigger. The Kingdom is a present reality. Despite the fact that some days I can’t see it, when I see suffering enter into my life, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, witnessing the suffering of my own daughter when accidents happen, the fact is, Christ’s Kingdom is real. I can decide that day to keep quiet, but then I find those stones in my own life cry out God’s name for me, to force me to turn back towards the Kingdom, telling me, “He is here, return! Return! Do not be fooled by your eyes, But be filled with spirit!”. Why is it we are so willing to throw the Kingdom away over silly things? We see here where the word Hosanna is proclaimed. This means literally “save us!”. How can a crowd of people first start with calling God to save them, and then turn around and demand days later “Crucify Him!”. It is because, they wanted political salvation, they wanted salvation from the current regime in their lives, the Roman Empire. They wanted to be freed of the destruction and depravity they were cyclically stuck in. They didn’t want a spiritual revolution. They had a nation and identity they wanted to return to. The Good old days of reigning supreme in a region during a time with which. This kind of talk I hear all the time, the good old days, as if we forget how bad things were in past times too. I think for example of when my Grandpa DeVault was almost shipped off into the Cuban Missile Crisis, before it resolved. I think about how my Grandma Schafer would speak about dealing with fuel rations during economic downturns and wartime. We pretend as if it was all sunshine and rainbows! The same is for the Israelites, They forget what it took, what pain and cost to build their own nation took. Israel wasn’t built over night, it was a cycle of faithfulness and then downturns. That is life. How often do we crucify Christ in our own hearts when things don’t go our way? How often do I throw away the grace God has given me when I find myself short-tempered and angry at things outside of my control?

What if we started to believe God could work in and through anything and everything? Not in a superficial way, there is a pragmatism needed, but what if I decided to rest in mystery again? What if I decide to accept things as they are where I can’t budge or move, and decide to praise God anyways? What if I lamented in a way that only emboldened my relationship with God, rather than severing it in spite and anger?

New Testament Point #2

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New Testament Point #3

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Closing Statement

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Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, adfs asdfa

Amen.

Doxology / Benediction / Closing

May you Have a Blessed Sunday, and rest of your Week! Amen!

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