stones

 As we prepare for Holy Week on this Palm Sunday, we begin worship with:

Luke 19:33-40

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.”

Heading west, as you crest the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem comes into view only 3/4 of a mile away across the Kidron Valley.

As they make the descent, his disciples giving testimony of the works of Christ in loud voice and being of sufficient number to be called a multitude, they would have been easily visible and within the hearing of those at the temple, particularly those on Solomon's Portico that faces east, high above them.

When rebuked, Jesus responds from the prophet Habakkuk:

Habakkuk 2:9,11,14
“Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house,
    to set his nest on high,
    to be safe from the reach of harm!  

For the stone will cry out from the wall,

    and the beam from the woodwork respond. 

For the earth will be filled

    with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

What was being done could not be stopped.  It could not be held back!  It would be  like trying to hold back a great river that wants to join the sea.

So, let us not hold back either.  As we come to worship today, let us recall all the mighty works that we have seen.