The sound of silence

                                                          Luke 19:39-40

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.”

These words were spoken as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10^th of Nisan, the same date that the Jews all brought their Passover lambs home for a four-day inspection to make sure that they were perfect in every way before they were brought to the temple as an offering. Jesus rode on a donkey colt, an event prophesied by Zecheriah about 500 years before Jesus was even born, saying “Behold, your King comes to you; He is just and having salvation, patient, meek, lowly and riding on a donkey, upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  By this act, Jesus was signalling to all who knew the writings of the Old Testament prophets (and this included all the Pharisees in the crowd), that He was indeed their long-awaited Messiah!

But because they misinterpreted Isiah 53, they could not understand that their Messiah would come twice – once as a suffering servant, and later as reigning King. The Jesus they observed and heard about up to then, was just, proclaimed salvation, patient, meek, and lowly – but this did not fit into their perception (handed down by generations of learned men before them) of what their King should be like and should act like.

This made it impossible for them to admit that Jesus was indeed their Messiah. Trying to silence the disciples from openly proclaiming Him as such, they instructed Jesus to rebuke them, which He answered by saying that the very stones along the road would cry out and proclaim the truth, if His followers were to be silenced.

I find it very interesting that there are so many archaeological findings in Jerusalem and surrounds lately - are they also the stones crying out? Testifying to the authenticity of history as reported in the Bible!

Jesus was then crucified in Jerusalem four days later on the 14^th of Nisan, exactly the same date that all the Passover lambs were slaughtered in the temple as Passover offerings. He was not ashamed to die for you and me, openly acknowledging His love for us, and this even before we chose Him as Lord and Saviour, while we were still living in our sin. He publicly declared His love for us – liars, cheaters, murderers, adulterers, idolaters, fornicators, self-centred to the core, breakers of every law imaginable.

Why then do we find it difficult to acknowledge Him in public - the King of kings, the most powerful Being that exists, the Supreme Ruler over every created thing, glorious, majestic, beautiful, just, faithful, and true? Where are the voices crying out at every injustice we hear about in our neighbourhoods, in our towns and cities? Why are we silent when sinful living is taught at our schools and our children exposed to abhorrent sexual practices? Where are our protests when good is being called evil, and evil, good?

Points to ponder: Are you one of the silent majorities? Ask Holy Spirit to show you how to take a stand against the rising tide of evil all around!

Stand up, stand up for Jesus