After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.'” So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power 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 heaven!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” [NRSA: Lk 19:28-40]

Luke 19:28-40 “The Lord Has Need of It”
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.'” So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power 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 heaven!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” [NRSA: Lk 19:28-40]

The witness is not of Jesus riding in on a mighty war horse. Instead, it is a sign of humbleness and “a labor of love”… instead of a beast of a Cadillac Escalade Jesus arrives riding a base model Chevrolet Colt.

If Luke were our only Gospel, we would have no mention of palm branches, only coats being spread upon the road as ‘red carpet welcome’. So it might be known as Cloak Sunday instead of palm Sunday. It is interesting that tradition has preferred that we take palms from along lthe road over offering our coats and cloaks.

The core of the Colt along the Road and the Coats on the Road
What happens on the road? What happens at the parade?

A multitude of disciples begin telling of the deeds, signs, wonders, and accomplishments of Jesus…
• Praising God
• With Joy
• And a loud voice

17 examples in Luke’s Gospel
• “for all the mighty works which they had seen” (v. 37c). Note the abundance of Jesus’ miracles that Luke the physician records—mostly healings or exorcisms (4:31-37; 4:38-39; 5:12-16; 5:17-26; 6:6-11; 6:17-19; 7:1-10; 7:11-17; 8:22-25; 8:26-39; 8:40-56; 9:10-17; 9:37-43; 13:10-17; 14:1-6; 17:11-19; 18:35-43).
• Luke gives 17 accounts of might works and deeds done by Jesus

Those blessed by Jesus’s might works are praising
Those threatened by Jesus’s mighty works:
The Pharisees ordered Jesus to make the disciples stop the procession, stop with the branches, stop with the mockery of Jesus as {some kind of king.} If I even tried, the stones would speak the truth.

The Stones would speak the truth
• We celebrate the voices of jubilation and praise with our Palms, but it more important to deal with the voices calling for order, quiet, and silence.
• The voices of caution that tell the winds of the Holy Spirit which direction to blow are not voices of God.
• The voices of cold hard stones that have no life about them, will be given voices and become animated if needed.

Where is my voice in the celebration?
• Praising God
• Silent as a stone
• Calling God to keep quiet

Where are we in the story?
• For those who are praising God, we are on the right track
• For those who are the stone quiet already, is the greater call to be useful and purposeful for the kingdom…
• For those who are hesitant or cautious, do be hindered or wait any longer.

The World is divided between good and evil
We need to take a stand…
What good is it to take the side of good and keep quiet?
What good is it to take the side of evil and keep quiet, either?
Riding under the radar is no longer an option

The denomination is dividing whether we want it to divide or not… We can wait for the conversation to sneak up on us or we can face it head on
Elements of persons for extremes have called for action and “the majority” of silent stones in the middle have kept quiet…

Our country, likewise, has been divided into opposing camps and those who are silent hoping evils will reveal themselves and wrongs will right themselves without our taking a stand, hold the foolish thought more of the same will bring change.

When Peter steps up to tell Jesus that he cannot died and will not be killed, Jesus tells Peter that his heart and mind are being led by Satan and not the Spirit. God’s ultimate purposes will not be stopped.

What are we to do? Luke shows us two groups
If we are praising God with our whole heart and without reservation we need only continue
If we are saying things like,
• “Hold on”,
• “Wait a minute”,
• “Someone is trying something new and different”,
• “My way is being challenged.”
• We’ve never done that
• You are making me uncomfortable

On the other hand, We may be the one who needs to keep quiet and let the new thrive.
• The Lord has need of a colt, palms, branches, and disciples
• The Lord has need of the people, then and now.
• The Lord has need of the leaders, in Luke, and in 2022.
• The Lord has need of you and me

The Lord will proceed with or without any of the above.
• Lord Have Mercy on Me when I have
• Not waved the branches and raised your praise
• Not asked your will over my own
• Not spoke up and remained silent

What do we do?
We recognize that if God Needs animals and palm branches

1. God needs and desires us
2. We allow God to speak through us and our actions
3. Pay attention to hearts of stone that begin to sing praises.

Isnt their some middle ground, a safety zone, where I do not have to speak out and do not have to be called out?
As Jesus makes his way into Jerusalem, through his trial and examination, and to the cross, there is no time for quiet/comfort…

The story is the ultimate labor of love on our behalf.
For God so love the whole world that he gives his only son that through his sacrificial death may we know life and know it eternally.

Imagine taking your coat and throwing on the ground on a cold day as a sign of praise and devotion… if I am reluctant to offer my coat, how much less I’m I ready to give my heart.