Take a Walk with Me - Pt. 10

 

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” (Mark 10:32-24 ESV).

 

Clingmans Dome (picture attached) is now known as Kuwohi. Kuwohi, is the Cherokee name for the mountain and translates to “mulberry place.” Kuwohi is a sacred place for the Cherokee people and is the highest point within the traditional Cherokee homeland. Kuwohi is visible from the Qualla Boundary. At 6,643 feet above sea level, Kuwohi is Great Smoky Mountains National Park's highest point. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the second highest point east of the Mississippi. Only North Carolina's Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) rises higher. The Dome is a popular Park destination. Located along the state-line ridge, it is half in North Carolina and half in Tennessee. The peak is accessible after driving Clingmans Dome Road from Newfound Gap, and then walking a steep half-mile trail. I have made that hike a few times when I was much younger. It is also a part of the Appalachian Trail as it crosses Kuwohi, marking the highest point along its 2,144 mile journey.

 

Perhaps the most memorable hike was when Kyle and David were very young. In fact, Aaron had not been born as yet. Kyle had an accident and fractured his ankle and thus had a cast. David was in a stroller. We hadn’t made it very far up the inclined trailway when it became apparent that Kyle needed to ride in the stroller and I needed to carry David. Pushing the stroller and carrying David made for a very challenging hike. I kept my eyes fixed ahead and trudged up the trail, arriving somewhat winded, but very pleased! I was reminded how similar that practice is in our life journey. There are those times when the path is steep and the burden is heavy. Keeping our eyes on the destination gives us strength to finish well.

 

Our reading today shows how this was true for Jesus as well. Though Jesus meandered through Galilee and Judea during his ministry, he had one final, unshakable destination in mind, and it was deadly. When he told his disciples he was going to Jerusalem, they were astonished. They knew only too well the ugly jealousy and hatred that the religious leaders had for Jesus. They feared for his life, not to mention their own. Though he had told them about this before, Jesus’ disciples hadn’t grasped the purpose of his mission. He was going to fulfill the Scriptures’ promise of a suffering servant, who would take the sins of fallen humanity on his shoulders (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). He went to Jerusalem to die on a cross there—in order to give us new life and eternal hope. Thank God that he didn’t quit! Keep your eyes on that destination, especially when the way is hard!