Introit
Be not far from me, O Lord!
O you my help, come quickly to my rescue!
Psalm 22:19
Save me from the lion's mouth!
You have rescued me from the horns of the unicorns!
My God, my God, look upon me!
Psalm 22:21
Why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
from the words of my complaint?
Psalm 22:1
Luke 19:28-40
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt [Matthew and John: "donkey"] that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.'" 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34 They said, "The Lord needs it." 35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 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, 38 saying,
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!"
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." 40 Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."
Palm Sunday
The sixth Sunday in Lent is Palm Sunday with Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jerusalem the center of religion, of commerce, of imperial Roman colonial rule. Jerusalem, the location of the Temple, the destination of Jesus' trial, conviction, crucifixion, death—and resurrection. In Luke's gospel, Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and the cross is especially incessant. Luke particularly emphasizes the role of the Jerusalem Temple in Jesus' life and ministry.
This is one of the events recorded in all four gospels:
• Mark 11:1-11
• Matthew 21:1-11
• John 12:12-19
We expect hosannas and palm branches on this sixth Sunday in Lent, but Luke has no palms and not a single hosanna! Just as we interpret scripture (and everything else) for our own context, so did Luke the gentile writing mostly to gentiles. His original readers wouldn't have had much interest or understanding of leafy branches that evoked Succoth / Sukkot booths to represent the minimal yet sufficient shelter of God's provision during the Exodus. However, when I assembled my header image with only stones and rocks in the background, it looked messy and confusing. Besides, most churches celebrating the sixth Sunday in Lent will include palm branches or similar greens, so—"poetic license" and contemporary context.
With fewer and fewer people at Holy Week services, for the past few decades many churches have celebrated Palm/Passion Sunday. That moves too swiftly from Jesus' praise-surrounded triumphal entry to the walk with the cross, on to the actual place of crucifixion, but everyone gets an overview.
Donkeys in the Bible
Many of Jesus' actions were upside-down versions of what conventional political, religious, and economic authorities – the establishment – did. At first it may feel as if Jesus' entering the geographical center of power on a humble donkey subverted the return of the victorious general on a galloping steed. However, there also was a tradition of a military victor astride a donkey in order to present himself as servant of the common people.
Jesus riding a donkey echoes Zechariah 9:9 that some scholars consider a Messianic prediction:
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Matthew and John both quote Zechariah; Luke almost definitely remembered it. You well may know it as a soprano aria in Handel's Messiah!
Other donkeys in the bible? Balaam's talking donkey in Numbers 22:15-35. Joseph's donkey who carried Jesus' pregnant mother Mary into Bethlehem in Luke 2:1-5, and probably into Egypt, as well. Donkeys illustrate the servant God's call for us to live as servant people.
Some Rocks in Scripture
These are some I easily remembered. Maybe you can add to this list, or you might enjoy a word study research and journaling project.
• If Jesus' disciples were silent, stones would shout praises! Rocks would cry out! Luke 19:40
• Genesis 28 – Genesis 31
At the place Jacob names Bethel or House of God, he first uses a stone as a pillow for his head and then as a pillar of witness.
• The Ten Words or Commandments of the Sinai Covenant were engraved in stone
• Joshua 24:26-27
Covenant renewal at Shechem and the stone that witnessed the people's resolve to serve YHWH "This stone has heard all the words the Lord has said to us and will be a witness!"
• 1 Samuel 7:12
Ebenezer, "Stone of Help"
• Ezekiel 36:26
Hearts of stone changed into hearts of flesh
• 1 Peter 2:5
We are living stones God is building into a spiritual house or temple.
• Matthew 4:3 and Luke 4:3
The devil tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread
• A stone at Lazarus' grave and at Jesus' tomb
• St. Francis of Assisi slept on rocks in order to be close to creation and close to Jesus, our rock of faith.
Palm-Passion Sunday into Easter
"If these disciples were silent, the stones would shout praises!" Luke 19:40
Jesus death and resurrection overthrows the death-dealing, established powers that be to liberate the entire cosmos from slavery to sin and death. We still spend much of our time downwind, but the day of the fully accomplished New Creation will happen.
Recent science tells us rocks and stones sing. All Creation Sings is the title of an ELCA hymnal. Like the morning stars who sang at the dawn of creation. Like Isaiah's trees that clap their hands because… no more clear-cutting! And Isaiah's seas rejoicing because there's no more pollution!
What other examples of creation rejoicing, grieving, or otherwise reacting can you describe?
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