It reminds me of a TV commercial or movie trailer. Jesus' third warning in the Gospel of Mark previews how the Gospel will end. Jesus gives his disciples more than an enigmatic foreshadowing; he provides an accurate synopsis of all that is "coming soon."

 

The disciples do not have a clue how true and soon all of this will come to pass. Jesus is their teacher, a healer, and man of peace. Yet, he says he will be violently murdered by Temple and Roman authorities, colluding to discredit and humiliate him. And then he will rise again. This is why they are heading to Jerusalem. Don't change your channel! 

 

This Sunday, we will hear the Passion according to Mark and on Easter Sunday we will experience the "to be continued" conclusion. But unlike broadcast media, where we simply watch, we are called upon as disciples to walk with Jesus as participants in his Passion. 

 

What happened to Jesus in real life shifted Reality and Life itself. By being condemned and killed, Jesus calls us to face our human propensity towards violence. When we journey through Holy Week as prayerful participants, we find our perspectives and lives transformed. In the dark places where suffer, Jesus takes us by the hand and yanks us from the grip of evil powers and our fear of death itself.

 

This Holy Week, tune out the distractions and put down your devices to walk the Way of the Cross with Jesus. Experience the passion and resurrection that is the central to our new lives in Christ.  We are invited into the mystery of faith by going with the Son of Man to Jerusalem.