Lessons On The Road

Summary

I’m wondering if any of you have ever seen a group of preschoolers on a field trip, maybe at the zoo or a museum, holding on to one of those ropes that is meant to keep them all together or moving in the same direction? Can you picture it?

If I were a preschool teacher, I’d probably have a clearer opinion of their usefulness- this may be just enough to motivate kids to stay on track, to keep them together and moving in the right direction.

But it also strikes me that a child can simply let go of that rope at any given moment and head in an entirely different direction. I have to imagine that sometimes they let go and maybe need a gentle reminder to grab the rope again so that they can follow their teacher.

In today’s passage it feels a little bit to me like the disciples keep letting go of the rope. They have been on this journey with Jesus for some time now, but they just don’t seem to be getting it. This is the third time Jesus foretells his death and resurrection, and with the most detail yet. He will be condemned to death, mocked and spit upon, killed. And after three days he will rise again.