We made our way down the aisles of the church, waving palm branches and singing a joyful hosanna song – the “we” being the young children in our Sunday School classes and us, their teachers. This morning, memories of other Palm Sundays long ago came alive again as I remembered well doing this very same thing as a child in my own church. Nothing has changed, maybe because the event we remember and recreate on Palm Sunday is the same one we’ve been celebrating for centuries – Jesus’s coming into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. This scene of celebration is described for us by John –

“The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting,

‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!’

Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, ‘Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.’ ” (John 12:12-15)

Matthew also recorded this joyous occasion that we are still remembering and celebrating every year on Palm Sunday –

“The disciples went and did as Jesus instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ ” (Matthew 21:6-9)

Mark describes what happened in this way –

“When they brought their colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’ ” (Mark 11:7-10)

and lastly, Luke gives us this account of what has come to be called “Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem” –

“They brought it (the colt) to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 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 19:35-40)

It’s clear from these eye-witness accounts that the crowds of people were joyful as they praised God and they were quite loud as they shouted their “hosannas” and their “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” and multiple other shouts of joy at Jesus’s arrival in their city. They were praising God enthusiastically and unashamedly. They were worshipping Jesus as the “King of Israel” and the “Son of David.” Their joy was unrestrained, their voices resounded loudly, as all the accounts testified, from “those that went ahead of Jesus and from those who followed Him” – the echoes of this loud celebration could be heard throughout the city of Jerusalem.

That must be why the Pharisees in the crowd did what they did and said what they said to Jesus. Remember? They asked Jesus to “rebuke” His disciples because His disciples along with all the other people in the very large crowd were too loud. Way to kill the joy of the moment and put an end to the celebration of Jesus’s return to Jerusalem, right? The Pharisees were nothing if not kill joys.

BUT – they didn’t succeed in silencing this celebration of Jesus as God’s long-awaited Messiah and King. Not this day! Jesus refused to quiet the Hosannas of the large crowds. Instead, Jesus pointed out a fun fact the Pharisees should have known from studying their scriptures. Even if the people present did get quiet, the praise and the celebration would still continue because, Jesus said – “if they (the people) keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

One translation puts it this way – “if they keep quiet, the stones along the road will burst into cheers.” (Luke19:40/NLT) I like that imagery – the image of traditionally stoic stones breaking into cheers and chants of praise for their Creator. It’s easier for me to imagine roaring lions, trumpeting elephants or howling wolves giving their Creator loud praise than it is to think about a rock bursting into song. I wonder if that’s why Jesus mentioned stones specifically out of all of creation? In Psalm 66 I read –

“All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing praise to Your name.” (Psalm 66:4)

It’s one thing for all the various songbirds to sing God’s praises. That’s what they were born to do, whether nightingales, warblers, bluebirds or even woodpeckers, who comprise the percussion section of the bird chorus. I hear babbling brooks, whispering or whistling winds, rustling leaves, crashing waves, thunder, lightning, buzzing bees, the chorus of bullfrogs and summer night’s crickets making music after dark – all of creation really does seem to be perpetually making a joyful noise to their Creator – except perhaps stones. I don’t really hear much from them, to be honest.

But Jesus said even the stones would break their ages long silence and cry out if all the people shouting His praises were suddenly forced to be silent. Stones, too, are a part of God’s creation and they will not be denied the opportunity to participate in praising His name along with the rest of His creation. I get it. I want my voice to be counted among the chorus of praise as well. It’s an ongoing, never ceasing, concert of jubilation and praise and I want to be always participating in this earthly, eternal choir! Isaiah says –

“the mountains and hills will burst into song before You, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12)

Creation’s praise of God is one never ending song, as it says in Psalms –

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)

That’s what the Pharisees should have known – that God’s creation always praises Him and they had no authority to require silence from anyone or from any part of God’s creation, even the smallest rocks and stones. While rocks and stones may be lesser recognized voices among God’s creation choir, they too are giving glory to God in their own way, twenty-four/seven, along with the shining stars, the pounding waves, the cry of the loon across the lake. The towering cliffs and deep canyons of rock and stone cry out in praise of their Creator all day long. Their majesty, beauty and uniqueness reflect God’s glory continuously along with all the rest of God’s creation.

The Pharisees should have known what the psalmist declared so many centuries before –

“Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do His bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” (Psalm 148:7–13)

We were not silent on Palm Sunday. We praised God with palm branches and joyful Hosannas in the sanctuary. But don’t tell me that outside the church, the rocks and stones of the surrounding streets and yards, weren’t also singing praises to their Creator with the same joyful jubilation as the trees, the flowers, the birds and all the rest of God’s creation.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

and also those things that don’t – even boulders, stones and the rocks of the road –

sincerely, Grace Day