Palm Sunday (CL)

Luke 19:28-40

²⁸ And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” ³² So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴ And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” ³⁵ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶ And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works 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!” ³⁹ And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” ⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Repeatedly in the Psalms and prophets the creation is brought to witnesses against the people of God. The people of God are not the ones who point out the sin of the World, but the stones, mountains, and hills. Jesus knows that creation will cry out in witness for him, just as previously we know Demons cried out with knowledge of who Jesus truly is.

It is easy to say there are many things that will stifle our witness. But look at the disciples and the owner of the colt. The owner of the colt asks, “Why are you untying the colt?” It is the simple words that should not work, that become the words that allow the use of the colt. It is easy to say there are things that stifle our witness, it is also easy to say, “The Lord has need of [you].” The Lord does have need of you. He has claimed you to be his very own.

Jesus does have need of the colt, so that he can ride it into Jerusalem. Jesus has need of his disciples to go into the town, and get the colt. Likewise, he has need of the people to cry out. They proclaim him as the one “who comes in the name of the Lord.” He is the one who comes to save his people from sin. He is the one who will take judgment upon himself, and die for the forgiveness of sin. God has need of you, so he claimed you and bought you with a price, Jesus Christ.