Luke 19:39Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Pharisees expressed their discontent with the crowd referring to Jesus as King and honoring Him as God, believing that such a serious designation of the title of King was an affront and blasphemy towards the Lord.

The Pharisees grumbled at the accolades given to Christ, approaching Him to say, “rebuke your disciples.” But what grievance do you have, O Pharisee? What accusation do you level against the disciples, or how do you intend to chastise them? They have not sinned; in fact, they have engaged in actions that merit commendation. They honor as King and Lord the One to Whom the law has long pointed through various symbols and archetypes, and the holy prophets have proclaimed since ancient times. Yet you reject Him and burden Him with your countless envies.

Upon hearing the joyful shouts of the children, the scribes approached Him in indignation, demanding, 'Tell the people to be quiet.' His response was, 'If they keep silent, the stones will cry out.' They chose to let the children express their praise instead of the stones, fearing that the outcry from inanimate creation might lead the spiritually blind to repentance. However, this shout from the stones was reserved for a significant moment during His crucifixion, when, in contrast to the silence of those capable of speech, the mute creation heralded the grandeur of the Lord (Matthew 27:51).

It is noteworthy that in the Gospel of Luke, we find a large crowd coming to the base of the mountain, offering their praises to God and thereby affirming the arrival from heaven of the one who perfects the spiritual mystery. They acknowledge Him as God, hail Him as King, shout the prophecy, "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matthew 21:9, 15), and declare that the anticipated Son of David has manifested in the flesh as the Redeemer for the lineage of David. Yet, they will soon conspire to crucify Him. This is indeed a remarkable act of divine will! They condemn Him against their true desires, and while failing to recognize Him in their hearts, they proclaim Him as God.

In this chapter, the subsequent understanding of the location is presented: ‘But the people said, ‘This is Jesus the prophet.’ This is further explored and clarified within the text.

To the Pharisees, some of whom were present to observe Jesus as usual, the spectacle of the crowd's adoration was unbearable. The strong sense of nationalism expressed through the people's actions kept them from openly condemning Him. Perhaps they even hesitated to show their disdain for Jesus, fearing that He could easily rise to authority among them. Thus, these insincere individuals feigned neutrality, appearing to be even supportive to those unaware of their true feelings. "Teacher," they suggested, "it might be wise to discourage the disciples," implying that the shouts of praise declaring Him the Son of David could incite trouble with the Roman authorities (Luke 19:39-40).

The Pharisees, having interjected among the crowd, urged the Lord to silence the voices with a command. However, the Lord dismissed their request, declaring, "I tell you that if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." Through this, He conveyed that the occasion at hand is so profound and uplifting for all humanity that even the most indifferent souls would be moved to reverent joy.

Among the crowd following Jesus, there were Pharisees who did not welcome the approaching Messiah-King with joyful exclamations. Instead, their hardened hearts boiled with resentment towards Him. Although they would have preferred to immediately act against Him, they hesitated due to their fear of the supportive crowd. Feeling isolated amidst this enthusiastic assembly, they deemed it necessary to caution Jesus that such popularity could incite an uproar, risking a rebellion against the rightful Roman authority and leading to dire consequences. Unable to approach Jesus directly, they called out from within the throng, saying, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples for proclaiming You as King, Son of David.”

As Jesus wept and foretold the fate of the city, the procession came to a halt. Meanwhile, the individuals gathered in the Kidron valley and near the Jerusalem walls, alongside all those worshippers who had set up their tents densely on the verdant hills below, upon seeing the throngs moving towards them from the mountain and hearing the jubilant exclamations, comprehended the significance of the scene. Seizing green branches from the nearby trees, the crowd hurried up the pathway to greet the anticipated Prophet. When the two groups converged—one following Him from Bethany and the other coming to meet Him from Jerusalem—He found Himself surrounded by this multitude, who walked both ahead of and behind Him, shouting 'Hosanna' and waving their branches all the way to Jerusalem's gates.

Certain Pharisees among the crowd remarked, which is a detail unique to the Gospel of Luke. The animosity directed at Christ, often masked by an appearance of support, was perpetually alive in the hearts of the Pharisees. The people’s jubilant reception of the Lord as He entered Jerusalem must have pierced their wicked and envious souls. They placed the blame for this celebration squarely on Christ, accusing Him of being its instigator and suggesting that He could easily bring it to a halt. The underlying implication of the Pharisees' request was that such fervent acclaim posed a threat to the peace and wellbeing of the populace, potentially stirring unrest and drawing the attention of the Roman authorities. Ostensibly concerned for Christ’s safety, their demand harbored both an accusation and a veiled threat; however, it was genuinely rooted in jealousy and malevolence.