The disciples are somewhat confused. They have heard Jesus acknowledge He is the Messiah. Three of them have seen Him gloriously transfigured. And just now Jesus has received the adulation of the crowds after healing a possessed boy. And then Jesus says to them, "Let all this sink into your ears, for the Son of man will be handed over into the hands of men." What Jesus seems to be saying is that they are to realise there is no contradiction whatever between Jesus revealing in Himself the unlimited power of God and His being handed over powerless to the power of His enemies. Only when they can see and understand the meaning of a suffering Messiah will they fully know the Way of Jesus. But, Luke tells us, they were not ready yet for this. "They did not understand what Jesus was saying. It was hidden from them and they could not see it." At the same time they were afraid to ask Him.

To what extent can we accept the cross in our own lives? Strangely, without pain and suffering in our own lives and in those of others, our lives would be in many ways impoverished. Strange as it may seem, it is pain and suffering that bring out what is most deeply human and caring in all of us.