Psalm 98:4-6 | Colossians 3:16-17 | Luke 19:37-40
Not Silent, but Joyful
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Grace, Mercy and Peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Gospel reading for this day tells us that no one has the right or ability to contain or limit the praise of Jesus. When the disciples of Jesus…and we’re talking not just about the 12, but about the multitudes that had gathered around Him. They had seen His mighty works and shouted praise to His name.
When the disciples of Jesus gathered and shouted out their praise, saying: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” It was at that moment that the Pharisees, bitter and grumpy as always, tried to put a stop to it.
Teacher, they said, rebuke your disciples.”
Now to be fair it is not just that they are grumpy and bitter, though I really think they are. But, they also believe that the crowd is making Jesus out to be something He is not. They’re making Jesus out to be the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one of God, the heir of David’s throne, and the Savior of God’s people.
Teacher, they said, rebuke your disciples.” Because they don’t believe that Jesus is who the crowds are saying He is. For if He is the Christ, then…well then that changes everything. He is to be the object of obedience. Every knee will bow, every tongue confess that He is Lord. He will cast down the mighty from their thrones. Because He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And obviously Jesus, that’s going to far. So, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
But Jesus refuses. He will not rebuke them.
Instead, He answered the Pharisees say, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” Even the stones. Creation itself, even those parts of creation that are typically inanimate, will praise Jesus.
Because, He is who His disciples proclaimed Him to be. He Himself confesses it. He is the Christ, the anointed one of God, the Word made flesh, Immanuel — God with Us. And that changes everything.
And because of that, no one has the right or ability to contain or limit the praise of Jesus. Rather, we are, all of us, even the stones, meant to praise Him. This confession about Christ is a first commandment kind of a confession.
What is the first commandment?
You shall have no other gods.
And what does this mean?
We should fear, love and trust in God above all things.
Above all things. No one else should be the object of more love or trust. No fear should captivate our hearts and take us away from worshipping and praising and serving our Lord, Jesus. For He is above all. So don’t be silent, but shout out your praises. Join your voices with the crowds on that day described in our Gospel reading. Say it with me:
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
No one has the right or ability to contain or limit the praise of Jesus. In fact it is our duty to thank and praise, serve and obey our Lord, with all of our lives, with every we have and everything we are.
We believe this, we confess it. And it is for this reason that Faith Lutheran Church established a school some 68 years ago.
Let’s consider that statement again. Perhaps you’ve asked yourself or you’ve heard someone else ask….why does the church run a school? Why do it all? It costs a lot money and time. It requires a huge investment of prayer and service. Why would we do this? And moreover why would parents send their children to our school, or to any of the nearly 1,800 other Lutheran schools here in the US or around the world? Why in the world would the parents and sponsors of more than 160,000 students who attend Lutheran schools pay tuition? Why…when there are other options that are less expensive, or perhaps even free?
Well, the answer is simple.
You see God has commanded us, as parents and as His church, to
Train up our children in the way they should go, so that even when they are old they will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 paraphrased)
That is our responsibility. It is our duty. It is our calling before God as parents and as the church. And we dare not neglect it.
But let’s unpack that simple calling from God for us.
We should train up our children. The Hebrew word for training is חֲנֹ֣ךְ hnk. It is elsewhere translated, “dedicate” or “consecrate.” Train up your children in the way. Dedicate them to the way. Consecrate in the way that they should go.
There’s a sense there of setting apart our children as holy to the Lord. Training them for a Godly life as His dear children. Preparing them and mentoring them and discipling them toward a life in which they fear, love and trust in God above all things.
So we are to train up our children. And how are we to train them? In the way they should go. THE way. As in, there’s a right way for our children to go. A right way to live their lives. A right way, which is given to them by God’s Holy Word.
Did you notice that in the epistle reading?
Paul writes,
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17)
In those lovely words of encouragement, Paul gives us some gold nuggets. The Word of Christ he says, is all wisdom. That is what we should be teaching and admonishing one another in.
Oh, other things are fine too. We should teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. We should teach art, science, and PE. But these things are not the main thing. They’re not. They may prepare them for a job. For worldly success. But unless they are prepared with true wisdom, then they are not prepared at all. Unless our children are prepared to fear, love and trust in God above all things…and to do that with their life for all the days of their lives, then, dear people of God, our children are NOT prepared for life. Even if they get really great jobs and make lots of money.
Martin Luther said it this way:
I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme. Every institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God’s word becomes corrupt…. I greatly fear that [schools], unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on the young students, are wide gates to hell. — “To the Christian Nobility” (Luther’s Works, American Edition (AE), vol. 44, pp. 123-217))
Why would Luther say that? Because he recognizes that the most important thing for a child’s future…for every person’s future…is their relationship with God. Either they fear, love and trust in Him above all things or they don’t. Either they know and trust that Jesus has died on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins, or they don’t. And if they do then they have life and salvation. And if they don’t, then their destiny can only be death and hell.
This is what hangs in the balance. Heaven and hell.
And dear people of God, you know that our culture is increasingly godless. It is increasing anti-Christian. It is increasingly hostile toward the faith of our families, toward the faith of our children.
So we dare not step back and let our children fend for themselves. Instead, we must diligently labor, as parents and as a church, to train up our children in the way they should go, so that when they are old they DO NOT depart from it.
Now, I know that’s hard. Faith has had glory days and Faith has had some hard years. There’s been a lot to fear, a lot of reason for doubting whether we could or should keep our school open.
But let me tell you, when that question came up at our Board of Directors meeting, just three days ago, here’s what our board said, in no uncertain terms. “This board trusts the Lord and we make the commitment to have our school open Aug 1 2026 for the 2026/27 year offering ECE classes and K through grade 6.”
Furthermore, it is the intention of our Board of Directors to support the school and its mission and ministry perpetually.
Why? Why do this at all? Because it’s our calling and our mission. Because our Lord Jesus has commanded us to raise up our children in the way that they should go. Because their souls hang in the balance. Because we dare not quit and leave the little ones to fend for themselves.
Will it be easy? No way! It’ll be hard. But all the more reason to do it. To stand up, steadfast. To commit ourselves to obedience to the Word of Christ. And to be faithful with what God has entrusted to us.
For you see on this special day, and this coming week, National Lutheran Schools week, we are celebrating our school. And we are celebrating the calling of our Lord Jesus.
WE
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
We make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
No one has the right or ability to contain or limit the praise of Jesus. In fact it is our duty to thank and praise, serve and obey our Lord, with all of our lives, with every we have and everything we are. After all, He has given us His gifts…forgiveness, life and salvation. We have hope and a future, delivered to us this very day in the Holy Word of God and His Blessed Sacraments. What have nothing to fear, but instead, we trust in the mercy of God, and we entrust this day our church, our school, our children and our families into the good and gracious hands of the one who suffered and died and rose again for us and for our salvation. Amen.
The Peace of God, which surpasses understanding, guard you hearts and minds in this one true faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.