The Via Dolorosa

by Berni Dymet

Matt. 27:28-31 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him... They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head... After mocking him... Then they led him away to crucify him.

You know how you build up a picture of something in your head - and then when you finally see it, it's not what you expected to be?

I was thumbing through photographer Ken Duncan's recent book "Where Jesus Walked" and I came across a photo of the Via Dolorosa - the way of Sorrow.

It's the road that Jesus walked up - from His prison to His crucifixion - bloodied and beaten, dragging His cross. I don't know why but I expected it to be quite a wide road.  It's not.  It's a narrow path.

And along the way, there's a shop with a red and white Coca Cola sign. That I didn't expect!  But hey - it's the twenty first century. And anyway, they wouldn't have given Him a drink of Coke back then. 

It's the road He walked for you and me. Suffering so we could be set free. The Via Dolorosa. And if we want to follow Him - it's the path we have to take. Narrow. Painful. The road to the cross.

