Luke 19:28-48

Rebuke Your Disciples

A number of interesting things happened when Jesus entered Jerusalem. First of all a stranger allowed his colt to be taken away by people he didn’t know because they said, “The Lord needs it.” If you stop and think about that at all you realize how extraordinary that was.

Next, people started spreading their coats on the ground and great praise broke out. These weren’t people with a dozen coats hanging in the closet. Most of them likely didn’t have a closet, or a second coat. Again, quite extraordinary.

But the most extraordinary thing in this scene is what some f the Pharisees said. “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” Rebuke them? Why? Rebuke them because they were shouting praise to God? Rebuke them because they were giving physical expression to their enthusiasm for Jesus? Rebuke them because they were Jesus as the King who comes in the Name of the Lord?

Not everyone worships the same way. Some worship in quiet meditation. Some worship in loudest exclamation. Some stand still to know that He is God while others dance like David danced. Some lend their colt and others lend their coat. The important thing isn’t “how” we worship but that we in fact do worship.

When worship is far from us we become uncomfortable with those who draw near to worship. They are a “distraction.” They are “out of order.” We question their motives as if we could read their hearts. A particular form or style of worship may not be what resonates in our hearts but to say, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

If we find ourselves at that point then we should be very careful to take heed to the words, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”