Harder Than A Stone
Daily Devotion for Lent | Sunday, March 17
And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Luke 19:39-40
Crowds of people had come to Jerusalem during Passover. When they heard Jesus was coming, they took palm branches and went out to meet Him. Others cut branches from the trees in the fields. They lay their cloaks in the road for Jesus’ donkey to walk over. And they cried out, “Hosanna! “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” What a time to celebrate!
But not everyone was happy. There were religious leaders in the crowd who said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”
Why? Did it seem uppity to them—like Jesus was claiming too much? After all, these words were things people would say to the Messiah. Perhaps they thought Jesus should be modest and quiet, pretending to be less than He really was, refusing to accept the praise that was rightfully His.
Jesus wasn’t having it. He answered, “I tell you, if they were quiet, the very stones would cry out!” Their joy needed to be expressed.
The disciples were doing what came naturally—praising God for His great works. But not the religious leaders. Their hearts were even harder than the rocks Jesus spoke of. They couldn’t see or believe the wonderful thing God was doing right in front of their noses. What a shame!
But their hearts didn’t have to stay this way. Long ago God promised, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). This is what God has done for all of us who believe in Jesus. He has shown us such great saving love that now even our once stony hearts cry out to Jesus, “Hosanna!”
THE PRAYER
Lord, soften my heart and keep it responding to You with love and praise. Amen.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- What do you do when you feel joyful?
- Remember a time when you praised God, openly or quietly. What event caused that?
- When your own heart is feeling hard, how do you seek help?
Brought to you in partnership with Lutheran Hour Ministries – lhm.org/lent
Learn More
- Who Is Jesus?
- About Immanuel Lutheran Church
- Worship With Us on Sunday
- Wednesday Lenten Meals and Worship
About These Devos
PEOPLE OF THE PASSION Lenten Devotions 2019
Centuries before Christ, God was preparing the way for His Son’s arrival. From mankind’s original sin through the children of Israel’s on-again, off-again obedience, God was faithful, honoring His promise to Eve (Genesis 3:15), which first pointed to Jesus. In People of the Passion, we see God working through the lives of ordinary people to achieve His ultimate aim: our salvation. There are prophets, priests, and kings, servants, soldiers, and civilians—each with a role in the high drama of Christ’s passion. Readers may see themselves in some of these people—ordinary individuals who, like us, need a Savior.
Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches worldwide in its mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church.