Who’s that talking’?

April 13, 2025

Scripture: Luke 19:28-40

I would like to focus today on an aspect of the Palm Sunday story that at least for me, has long been overlooked.  As we listened to today’s passage, surely we felt the tension, we sensed the crowd’s excited anticipation, as we heard the shouts of praise and acclamation proclaiming that Jesus indeed was the long-awaited Hebrew Messiah. 

Now, as onlookers from far into the future,  it’s okay if we  hold back a bit, if we listen critically and weigh the different elements of this story as we see most fitting. We can sense the disciple’s fear concerning the most likely negative outcomes of Jesus’ journey into the city, but not too much, for we know that he ultimately prevails over the Temple Authorities. Or, we may see the crowd’s shouts and praises as perhaps a bit less than fully genuine, for this same group will completely turn on Jesus in the very near future. And we surely can’t be surprised that the religious authorities are all up in arms over Jesus’ loud and boisterous arrival. Although, Jesus’ response to them when they tell him to ‘quiet the crowd’, does seem somewhat surprising. I dare say that if we too were hearing the story for the first time we would not expect Jesus to say that if the people were silenced, the ‘roadside stones themselves would begin to talk’. I am not sure, but I just don’t think we would have expected that one.

        However, that is just what Jesus did say…and so I would like to take this interesting phrase of his about ‘talking stones’ as our starting point of study today…‘If the people are somehow forced to cease singing and proclaiming the advent of the Messiah, and the truth of who Jesus is, then the stones by the roadside will take up  the chorus’. The stones themselves will begin to talk.

        Now this is not the first time we have seen stones figure prominently within the biblical account. In fact, in both the New and the Old Testaments we often find stones either referred to, or playing a significant role from time to time. Consider how the Hebrews were saved from certain destruction by a small stone thrown from the sling of the young shepherd boy named David, felling an absolute giant of a man named Goliath.

        Or the story telling of stones used as weapons that is found in Chapter 8 of John’s gospel, where Jesus is asked by the Scribes and the Pharisees to pass judgment on a woman who has been brought before them accused of committing adultery, a crime calling for death by stoning. Trying to trap Jesus by forcing him to choose either to act contrary to the law of love, or to break the Jewish law, Jesus instead turns the challenge back upon the woman’s accusers, standing there ready and waiting with stones in hand. ’Whosoever among you is without sin, may cast the first stone’, Jesus responds, knowing full well that each one of them is far from being sinless. His challenge hangs heavy in the air as each one of those who had brought stones with which to kill the poor woman slowly turns away, their stones now just weighty burdens of condemnation in their own hands.

And then of course there is the familiar phrase coming from both Psalm 118 and Mark’s gospel in Chapter 12 where we hear of ‘the stone which the builders rejected’, referring to the parable of the owner of the vineyard who had sent his hired hands to collect the rent due from his tenants, all of whom refused to pay up repeatedly, and ultimately even killed the son of the owner. In this instance Jesus was drawing on this ancient account to teach that in fact, he was that ‘stone which was being rejected’ by the Temple Authorities, enraging them all the more.

And then of course, there is that most significant stone that was first heaved into place by Roman Guards, and later pushed aside by heavenly forces early on Easter morning.

So, we see instances of stones being used as weapons, as profound teaching metaphors, or tomb sealers and, as in today’s account, as potential voices of praise to God. And I wonder if these various and ancient accounts of ‘stones’ might still speak some wisdom into our lives today.

In the case of David and Goliath, that small stone saved a whole people from certain defeat at the hands of the Philistine Army. Though it was quite small, it found its mark, that single point of weakness in the warrior’s armor that defeated him and neutralized the threat. When we may be faced with what seems like overwhelming challenges today, when we are up against what seems to be stronger than our ability to control or fend it off, whenever we are confronted with fear or worries we have never had to deal with before, what small stone might we use in our defense? How might we find that point of greatest vulnerability?

I would contend that the single greatest threat to any of the many powers or principalities threatening us today is in fact, a two sided coin…with an unwavering commitment to community on the one side…and the power of God’s love on the other. Truly, a people standing in unity, and strengthened and sustained by love for one another will prevail against anything or anyone seeking to diminish either one.

Moving on, what of stones we might be tempted to pick up in order to cast them in judgment towards another? Surely there are words or actions used against us that are worthy of our best efforts to diminish or to destroy…surely our own house is not made of glass…or might it be? And even if we decide to refrain from acting on our condemnation of another…even if we decide to slowly turn and walk away…do we actually drop the stone? Or do we hold on to it, just in case we might change our mind?

And from our place now, some 2000 years later, and knowing that Jesus was speaking of himself when telling of the ‘stone which the builders rejected’, are any of us ever guilty of being ‘lukewarm’ or ‘half-hearted’ in standing up for what our faith demands of us? In this day in which love, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness are often seen as weak or dangerous, are we all in, in standing strong in our efforts to look, sound, and act as we believe Jesus would have us be and do? Or are we sometimes more comfortable being able, or perhaps allowed, just to ‘fit in’ when our faith is challenged on our daily walk through the ‘messiness of this world’?

And then finally, in our passage today, we see Jesus referring to stones along the side of the road…stones which by all accounts are unable to do anything other than sit there silent and unmoving, unless someone or something moves them. But as we saw with the reference to cornerstones, sometimes stones, even as mute or ‘muted’ members of creation can also serve to instruct us metaphorically.

I found an interesting comment on an internet post concerning this idea of stones being mute or ‘muted’ parts of creation. Appearing to be muted, but with the hidden potential to sing out praises of God. The website was called Desperate Preachers.Com and the post was put up by someone listed as ‘Dr. M’.  I have kept the quote pretty much as it was written with just a few words changed for clarity. Dr. M. writes ‘I wonder how many stones (meaning for now ‘people we ignore or cannot hear’)…how many ‘stones’ are actually speaking for Christ right now. How many New Age, or ‘spiritual’ people, or lost or confused youth, or children with any manner of what we would call a ‘disability’ (which in fact is more truthfully just a ‘differing ability’)…how many of these people we may tend to ignore, are individuals who may know more about praising God than we do ourselves? I suppose we can choose to keep them ‘silent’ or…or we can learn from them.’

I think that it should be obvious by now that there is much to reflect upon and to learn from our Palm Sunday readings for today. But I think that the most important thing, or at least the point which speaks out the loudest to me, is this question of whether or not we are willing to affirm our faith in the public square? Are we always ready and willing to share our faith through either word or actions as we engage with those who cross our paths each day? Do we take every opportunity, as an opportunity, to extend love and grace with every fiber of our being…or…are we occasionally guilty of tempting nearby stones on the side of the road to cry out themselves?

It is surely something to think about, especially in times where it seems like speaking your mind, and sharing what you see as truth, may not always be accepted or welcome. But the unrelenting call of our Lord Jesus to serve every one of ‘the least of these’ to whom Jesus was referring in Matthew Chapter 25, remains as a call to clear and steadfast commitment…ringing loud and clear each and every moment in the lives of all who would truly seek to walk in the footsteps of our Lord. So, won’t you come along with me as we celebrate the wonder of Palm Sunday…together let us shout hosanna and sing praises and thanksgiving…let us lift our voices in song…let us be known as the ones who spoke…so that the stones never had to…amen