Worship Him

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:37-40

Doctor Luke's narrative of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, which believers still commemorate as Palm Sunday includes this verse where some of the Pharisees told Jesus to put a stop to the people's loud shouts of praise for Him.

But it was the response of Jesus which really was the head scratcher. He told those who wanted to stop the joyful shouts of praise that if they would keep quiet, the stones would cry out.

One can study this phrase and can get really deep into theology by referencing Old Testament parallels or interpret this comment as literal, rhetorical or proverbial or all of the above.

But to me, we can readily surmise a few things because some of the facts are really quite obvious. One, "some" of the Pharisees didn't really like the idea of people shouting praises, especially directed towards this man called Jesus. Two, some if not most of them really did not recognize who was actually walking among them, even with all of their diligent studying of their scriptures and of prophecy -- and I could dare say, because of, because they were studying the scriptures for the wrong reasons. And three, some were most probably upset, even envious of the fact that the people were shouting praises to Jesus, instead of to them. Yes, how dare them.

True, most of the jews (God's chosen people) did not recognize Jesus for who He really is, and they have stopped shouting out praises to Him. But what happened? Us, gentiles who are nothing but stones, dust even, to them, are the ones who are shouting out praises to Him who suffered and died in our place. He grafted us in, to become His people and He turned our once heart of stone, into a heart of flesh, which has become attuned with the heartbeat of our Lord and Savior. Now, we are the ones (the stones) who are crying out to Him who is worthy of all praise and glory. And this is not to say that God could not literally make stones cry out praises to Him. In fact, a heart who is really in tuned with Christ, can literally see Him in His magnificent creation, in nature, in rocks and rock formations, and these creations cry out that there is a Creator, a loving one, a patient one and He is our Father, waiting patiently for us, His prodigal child. And when one really is able to grasp this concept, one can see with their spiritual eyes that the rocks and all of creaton are singing to their Maker.

Indeed, "Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Hosanna in the highest!”

How can we not cry out as well?