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When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he
resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent
messengers ahead of him. Luke 9:51–52
Shortly after Jesus spoke to His disciples about His pending
suffering, death and resurrection, we read that Jesus “resolutely
determined to journey to Jerusalem.” There is much to reflect upon
in that short statement.
First of all, Jerusalem was the place of the Temple where the
animal sacrifices of the Old Testament took place as a
prefiguration of the one and ultimate sacrifice to come. Jesus came
into this world as the Lamb of God, the Sacrificial Victim Who
would die for our sins. He knew His ultimate end in this world, and
He knew it would require much suffering. This knowledge of His
future suffering is the foundational context of this passage
today.
As Jesus’ suffering and death drew close, He became more and more
determined in His human will to fulfill the will of the Father by
laying down His life. Of course, Jesus always fulfilled the will of
the Father, but little by little the human manifestation of Jesus’s
determination became more and more pronounced. The specific human
virtue that slowly became manifest was courage. Spiritual courage
is the supernatural ability to embrace the will of the Father when
His will leads a person into a life of sacrifice. Within our fallen
human nature, we tend to avoid sacrifice. We often work to avoid
conflict and suffering and to embrace the easy way in life.
Therefore, to come face-to-face with some future suffering brings
forth a temptation to fear—and that fear requires courage to
overcome it. As His suffering drew closer, the temptation to fear
grew stronger and, as a result, His perfect virtue of courage
became more manifest. Note that Jesus not only decided to go to
Jerusalem to offer His life sacrificially, He “resolutely
determined” to do so. There was no wavering, no doubting the
Father’s will, no hesitancy, no fear. His perfect sacrificial love
slowly became manifest for all to see.
Another reason Jesus became resolute in His determination to travel
to Jerusalem was to witness His love to His disciples. They needed
courage themselves. So, as they listened to Jesus speak about
what was coming in Jerusalem and as they witnessed His unwavering
determination, they were also encouraged and were strengthened to
overcome the temptations to fear. Of course, they only perfected
that virtue later in their lives when they also followed in the
footsteps of our Lord, laying down their own lives as
martyrs.
Reflect, today, upon that which causes fear and anxiety in your own
life. If that suffering is of your own making, then seek to rectify
it. But if that suffering is a cross that our Lord is calling you
to embrace with love, then do so sacrificially and with much
determination. Do not be cowed by the heaviness of the cross you
are given in life. The crosses we are called to embrace are always
able to be transformed into grace. Allow courage to grow within you
and allow the witness of our Lord to encourage you as you seek to
imitate His sacrificial love.
My courageous Lord, You faced Your suffering with much courage,
strength, surrender and hope. You saw the value of Your free
embrace of Your suffering and chose it with all the power of your
soul. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to also resolutely
determine to journey toward the cross I am called to embrace in
life, so that my free embrace of my cross will unite me more fully
with You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Jean-Léon Gérôme, Public domain, via Wikimedia
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