As the time of his death approaches, Jesus keeps teaching his disciples (and telling them he’s going to die). I think it’s sort of interesting that he speaks in parables and things so much, but just outright tells them he’s going to die in Jerusalem. Besides the fact that it’s hard to believe someone is going to die, I think it would be pretty easy to wonder if he is speaking in riddles at this point or plainly. So I can’t really blame the disciples for being confused. Sort of like Prose and Verse, and catching the difference when you read Shakespeare 🙂
As for the teachings, there are a few to ponder. In particular, I find myself wondering how I can approach God like a child, and also how my wealth in North America compares to the wealth of the Rich Young Man. Tricky business, this whole “handing my life over” thing is.