Dan's Marinations

My wife and I have probably watched the movie "The Princess Bride" a dozen times.  We've seen it enough that we almost know the lines by heart and say them along with the cast.  At the climax of the movie the evil Prince Humperdink challenges the hero, a young man named Westley played by Cary Elwes, to a duel to the death.  Westley's response was "No! to the pain!"  In my previous post, I recalled the Kiawah Marathon of 2006.  Feeling strong at mile 20, I picked up the pace for a strong finish.  I felt strong.  I was strong.  Then came mile 23.  First the hips went, then the ankles, then the knees.  Elizabeth met me about mile 24 on a bike she had rented and rode along beside me.  The only thing I said was, "to the pain!" "to the pain!"  The pain continued and I continued the semi-chant, "to the pain!"  Finally, a turn to the left and I knew I was there, the finish line and I summoned up my last energy for a final pus...

Jesus' disciples have followed him now for some three years.  The last stretch of the journey has been particularly difficult for them.  The synoptic gospels are unanimous that in this home stretch toward Jerusalem and the celebration of the Passover, that Jesus had foretold his own death three times.  These statements, though clear to us, were certainly enigmatic and confusing to them.  At the same time, as the gospels portray it, Jesus began to emphasize more and more the costliness of discipleship.  On top of that, the last leg of the road to Jerusalem is physically demanding, being steeply uphill. A little over six years ago I ran my fifth marathon- the Kiawah Marathon down near Charleston.  I was well-trained and felt good for most of the run.  I had told myself that I wanted to keep an even pace and do the first twenty miles as efficiently as I could.  At mile 20 I would assess things and if I was still feeling good would push the pace and...