From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.  

In the movie "Courage Under Fire," both Colonel Serling and Captain Walden had to make decisions on the same night in separate arenas of the same war. Both had consequences that were life-altering. But they understood what had to be done and they were willing to live with the consequences, as incredibly difficult as they were.

Decisions. Everyone makes them. Sometimes they have a major impact on our lives; sometimes, none. Sometimes, living with their consequences is easy. Sometimes, on the other hand, living with them can be among the most difficult things that we are ever called to do.

Jesus made many decisions in his life. In one of them, recorded in the Gospels, Jesus freely chose to go to Jerusalem. It was a decision that eventually led to his death. Although not aware of the exact details, Jesus must have known that if the elders, chief priests and the scribes ever had a chance to take him into custody, they would do it, and Jerusalem was an easy place to do it. Nonetheless, he made the decision and as he had foreseen, suffered the consequences.

Young and old alike would do well to consider the consequences of decisions that they make. Everyone of us should try to measure the ramifications of those decisions because some of them will affect our whole lives. We are called in the final analysis to accept responsibility for whatever we decide.                 

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we make decisions about the way to live our lives. Sometimes those decisions are of immense importance. When it comes to those important decisions, help us make the right choices. Be with us, we pray.

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America