The Calm before the storm

Published: March 17, 2013, 4 a.m.

b'We are taking a brief detour from looking at 1 Corinthians to take time to look at the Easter narrative. We have called it \\u201cThe Perfect Storm\\u201d. A perfect storm is an event where a rare combination of events drastically aggravates the situation. This is The perfect storm as these events are a once in history combination of events that forever changed the world.In this passage Jesus is deliberately setting off towards Jerusalem for the final confrontation. There is a sense of anticipation and nervousness amongst his disciples. Although he tells them what is about to happen they don\\u2019t understand it and misinterpret his words. So, James and John come and ask and focus on Jesus coming to power and ruling in Israel (even though he has just told them that he is about to be crucified!). The same all too happens with us \\u2013 we all too often don\\u2019t listen to what he is saying to us and the path he is leading us on. We all too often want a comfortable path and one we can take it easy on \\u2013 rather than the path he calls us to.But Jesus is clear we are called to follow him, wherever that leads, and we see the disciples who think that they see worried and getting the wrong end of the stick and we see the blind man Bartimaeus who asks Jesus that he might see and then just gets up and follows Jesus. Jesus knows where he is taking us \\u2013 all too often we need to trust in the way he is taking us, even though it leads to the cross. Jesus and all the New Testament writers realised that the way of Jesus would lead to suffering for the sake of others.'