Clifton College Website

Thought for the Week

Clifton College's Chaplain, Kim Taplin, brings us his 'Thought for the Week'

Archive...

Facing a Cross road?

Why didn’t he run away? He could have gone back up north, to Galilee. He could have set up shop in a sleepy, anonymous hill village, run a profitable carpenter’s business, got married, had children and settled down. In a few months, it would all have blown over anyway. Today’s news; tomorrow’s Galilean chip-paper. He could have enjoyed a pleasant old age, telling his grandchildren about the time when he was nearly famous.

But he was so stubborn. His mind was made up and there was no changing it. Not even Peter could sow a seed of doubt. He had set his sights on Jerusalem. He must have known there was trouble brewing. He must have guessed that he would be for it this time. You cannot go around offending powerful people at will. But that never seemed to bother him. The truth always seemed more important than keeping up with the Cohens.

He was a driven man. He simply had to get to Jerusalem for Passover. And then...que sera, sera. For some reason, he seemed convinced that, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering.” (St Mark 8.31) It was as if he was playing out a scene on the stage of his enemies, whilst insisting upon using his own script and speaking his own lines.

Jesus’ road to the Cross appeared to be mapped out. It seemed to be one of those ‘meant to be’ moments of history. But he also makes it crystal clear that, if we wish to be his disciples, we must also accompany him on his journey – “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (St Mark 8.34).

2 March 2009

© 2006-12 Clifton College