UCC Church of Charlotte

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Crying Stones
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Luke 19:28-40

Grace and Peace to you this morning.  Grace and Peace.
    
The crowds are shouting their hosannas.  Jesus is riding in on a colt,
the way David had done, the way the prophets spoke of the one who
would come to break the technology of war and the ways of death and
the captivity to sin.  Branches are waving, songs are sung, an
ordinary day becomes a time of rejoicing and praise.
    
And here come the Pharisees, “Jesus, rebuke your disciples.”  Tell
them to tone it down.  If we are fair, there are Pharisees who are
followers of Jesus at this point, and there are Pharisees who see him
as a rival, as a threat, as a problem.  Luke doesn’t tell us which
ones these are.
    
Luke doesn’t tell us if these are like the Pharisees who come to Jesus
to warn him about Herod, about the powers that be who have it in for
Jesus.

“Run away, Herod wants to arrest you.”
We know Jesus’ answer.  “Tell him I’m busy!!”

Or these might the Pharisees who have sought to trap Jesus, to trip
him up, to catch him in a blasphemous statement or a traitorous act so
they can justify his arrest, his silencing.

All we get here is they tell him to silence the crowd.

Maybe they are afraid it will get out of hand.  Crowds have a way of
doing that.  People in crowds don’t often think for themselves very
well.  Get enough people together, and we tend to become herd animals:
easily startled, moving where everyone else is going, more likely
driven by emotions than actually thinking things through.

(Is it not also the crowd who call for Jesus’ crucifixion in a few days?)

Maybe they fear Rome.  Rome doesn’t like crowds.  Rome tends to
scatter crowds, to silence protests by hanging instigators up on
crosses, and punishing the local officials who let it get out of hand.

They have reason to fear Rome’s response.  When the crowd calls him
king, this is a word of sedition.  Israel has kings that Rome
appoints.  Anyone else claiming the title is an insurrectionist, a
revolutionary, a brigand, a rebel.  Rome didn’t crucify thieves.  They
crucified slaves, pirates and enemies of the state – those who were
seen as a threat to Rome’s control, sovereignty and power.  The two
“thieves” between whom Jesus was crucified are better called bandits
or outlaws, a better translation of the word.  Empire accepts no
competition to its domination, its control.

Maybe they just want Jesus to go back to Galilee and leave the status
quo be.  Maybe they prefer the “way it has always been” to this
kingdom of God that Jesus keeps talking about, to this new way of
living with one’s neighbors, to this new way of belonging that
includes those people.  (You know…THOSE people…yeah, even THEM!)

Whatever their motivations, the Pharisees tell Jesus to shut the crowd up.
    
But if I shut them up, the very stones themselves would cry out.
    
God’s kingdom is not stopped by silencing faithful people.
    
Like the story of Esther, the Jewish queen in Persia during the exile.
She is called upon to risk herself, to put her life on the line for
her people.  She is reminded that God’s purposes will be done, whether
she does or not.  Her mentor and uncle, Mordecai, tells her if she
keeps silence, she will suffer the same fate as the rest of her
people.  Her royalty will not save her.
    
But then he goes on to say,

For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance
will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father's
house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the
kingdom for such a time as this?

God’s purposes will ultimately be fulfilled, but you have it in your
power to do something about this, to help people happen here and now,
to see God’s purposes fulfilled in your own actions.
    
If you don’t, God will still get it done.
    
But maybe, just maybe, you are here in this moment, in this place, at
this time, to be able to do something God needs doing.  It is risky.
It may cost you everything.
    
But maybe you are where you are for just such a moment as this.
    
For a moment like this, the crowds sing praise and ask for God’s
salvation.  If they did not, God’s purposes would still be worked out.
And if they were silent, even the stones would cry out, because God
will see God’s plan through.
    
So what of us?  Do we offer prayer and praise, or are we silent?
    
Do we go on with life as it has always been, or do we see a moment
here where praying for our neighbor, praying for our church, praying
for our enemy, praying for our family, might make a difference?
    
Do we want to offer praise in church and go out and live our faith in
our home, at our job, in our clubs and gatherings and social circles?
    
Or are we going to rely on stones to do our praising for us, rely on
someone else to do our praying for us, others to live out their faith
outside of church because we don’t want to look like those crazy
Christians?
    
The amazing part of this story to me is not the crowd, the Pharisees,
or even the possibility of crying stones.  The craziest part of this
story is the chore of the disciples.
    
Go get a colt.  Tell them the Lord has need of it.

Can I borrow your car?  The Lord has need of it.
Can I use your house?  The Lord has need of it.
Can I use your field?  The Lord has need of it.
Can I use your money?  The Lord has need of it.

You might expect a preacher to say something crazy like that, but they
are only allowed to around stewardship time.
    
We don’t often hear this request and this reason.
    
Unless we stop and really listen.  Unless we sit quietly, and ask God,
God who is still speaking, to speak to us.
    
And then we hear something amazing.
    
Then we might hear God whisper, “Can I have your life?  Can I use your
heart and mind and strength and Nephesh and skills and talents?  My
purposes will be worked out whether you say yes or not.  But I will
give you moments where you are the one by whom I can do my work, if
you let me.  Can I have your life?”
    
What shall we say?

The Lord has need of it.
    
Thanks be to God.
Amen.