REBUKE THY DISCIPLES

Luke 19:30-40

REBUKE THY DISCIPLES

MEMORY VERSE: Luke 19:39: And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

An aged lady loved her Lord and often allowed her cup of joy to overflow during church services, saying, "Praise the Lord!" The preacher became disturbed by her outbursts of praise because they made him lose his train of thought. One day he offered her a new pair of blankets if she would refrain from praising during his sermons. She needed the blankets and agreed.

For many Sundays, the happy saint kept quiet during preaching. Then one day a visiting minister came to preach. He spoke of the forgiveness of sins with all its attendant joys and blessings. As his sermon progressed, the joyous lady thought less and less of the blankets and more of her Lord. Finally she could stand it no longer and cried out: "Blankets or no blankets, Praise the Lord!"

On the day of the triumphal entry the Pharisees were bothered by the songs and shouts of praise as Jesus entered the city. But this was a time for praise; the fulfillment of one of the major prophecies of the Old Testament: "Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zechariah 9:9). And the disciples were right to lift their voices in praise. Had they not done so, Jesus said, the stones would have cried out His praises.

A Christian recently said, "I'm not going to let a stone speak for me." He wanted to express thankful praise to Christ and was determined to do so.

Don't be guilty of criticizing those who praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!