Before the Stones Cry Out (Luke 19:28-40)
From today’s Scripture text, we can hear the voice of the crowd that welcomed Jesus as he entered into Jerusalem. The religious leaders during the time tried to silence the voices, but by saying “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out,” Jesus allowed the people to welcome him with their voices. What does this mean? Doesn’t this tell us that mankind is a personal creation that can speak? I hope that today is the time where we not only hear and understand the sounds from the sense of hearing, but that we hear the spiritual world as well.
I. The sound of Jesus coming from a manger
When Jesus, who is God, put on the flesh as a man and was born in a manger, who was it that recognized the cry of a baby as the voice of God? Even though Jesus is clearly a man, because he is God Himself, the sound of his cry is not just a sound of man, but a sound of God. It was already discussed through the assembly in heaven and prophesied through Prophet Micah that the baby Jesus will be born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah (Mic 5:2). Didn’t the Magi from the East and the shepherds in the fields hear and worship when no one, such as a king who sat in the fancy palace of Herod, the high priest, the elders, the teachers of the law, and the Pharisees heard it? Furthermore, do we not see in Lk 2:25-39 that there were old prophets named Simeon and Anna who did not leave Jerusalem, but waited for the consolation of God and recognized baby Jesus through the voice of the Holy Spirit? They gave thanks and exclaimed in such emotions when they saw baby Jesus in Mary’s arms, held him and said “I have seen the salvation of the Lord!” Hence, we must open the spiritual ears and hear the cries of God that is resonating and spreading as the sound of a man for the salvation of mankind. That sound is the sound of salvation, the sound of eternal life, and the sound that neither perishes, neither weakens nor collapses and has reached us continuously throughout the many turbulence in history.
II. A sound of blood of Abel
It is stated in Gen 4:10 that the sound of the blood of Abel cried out from the ground. Even though Abel offered a better offering than Cain, he was killed by his brother’s jealousy. However, Abel spoke through his faith even though he was physically dead. As you can see, it is the sound that is coming from the ground that has reached God. It is stated in Heb 12:24-25 that when the ground opened its mouth and received Abel’s blood, the blood cried out and the earth was shaken. There is also the sound of the blood of martyrs appearing in Rev 6:9-11. Isn’t this the sound of outcry that pleads for the judgment of God for the blood of those who were wrongfully slain? Even though it is the world that buried the voices of the righteous people, their flesh and blood in the ground, this blood cries out, which God hears and surely answers.
III. A sound of a donkey that cannot speak
When Prophet Balaam fell into the bribes of the Moabites and was leaving to curse the Israelites, his donkey stopped suddenly when it saw the messenger of God standing before them with a sword. When Balaam fogged and hit his donkey, it opened its mouth and said, “what have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” (Num 22:28). Through a donkey who cannot speak, God opened the eyes of a prophet who was blinded by the bribes. The Bible also speaks of Peter, the disciple of Jesus who said he will follow Jesus to the end even if he dies or is thrown in prison. Yet, he denied Jesus three times and even cursed him. However, when he heard the sound of a rooster, he realized what he had done, wept loudly and repented (Mk 14:72). As you can see, God is the loving God who will make us understand even through an animal that cannot speak.
IV. The cries of the wages of the field workers
It is stated in Jam 5:4, “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” It is written in the Old Testament that when King Ahab killed Naboth in order to take his vineyard and ultimately took it, God revealed the secret to Prophet Elijah and he reproached Ahab. Just as Elijah reproached, Ahab and Jezebel tragically died. If so, how was Prophet Elijah able to know this? It is because the vineyard, whose owner Naboth was wrongfully killed, cried out to God and He heard it and told Prophet Elijah. As you can see, God is alive. When all of us become fully devoted, righteous, and just while believing that God will stand on the side of those who are weak, who have been wronged and cheated, He will surely answer as we have sought (Lam 3:33).
Conclusion:
We must not stay quiet and instead, must open our eyes widely and gather our flesh and spirit to proclaim the salvation of Jesus Christ before the creation does it first. Our God is a loving God that will try to make us understand through the creation when we cannot hear the sound of God. If we have received grace and love through God, I sincerely hope that we will all powerfully proclaim the Word before the stones cry out (2 Tim 4:1-2).
Original Text (Korean): http://www.pyungkang.com/logos_01/170375
Translation by Kim Yeon Hee (Orlando Green Hill Church, USA)
