The Cup that He Drinks

Boy did I get a bit of a wake up call today.

So I was mindlessly daydreaming and thinking about college and the conversation in my head started like this.

"Hmm, I'll probably graduate college in the year 2022. I wonder if there's a cool Bible verse from some book that is chapter 20 verse 22. Wouldn't it be nice to put a Bible verse on my graduation cap that has a Bible verse that has the same number as my graduation year?"

So, off to the Bible I go and I decide to start in the Gospels, since those verse tend to be the most relevant.

Matthew 20:22

"You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" They answered Him, "We can."

Smack.

He knows how to hit hard.

"Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?"

Can I?

I am always telling myself how much I trust HIm. I am always saying that I only want HIs will, that All I want in life is to glorify His name. But if that future involves drinking the same cup of suffereing that He drank for us, I'm not sure if I can handle it....

My answer to Christ's question is often much like the Apostles James and John's answer. "Of course. I can drink the same cup." It is an answer that has an underlying tone of pride. My words are not entirely empty-- it is easy to accept Christ's cup when things go well, when my life is full of joy. But when things become difficult, when life gets me down, people challenge me on my faith, or the monotony of everyday life weighs on me, then it is harder to accept Christ's cup and truly mean it.

I enjoy my life of comfort. I'm not one for conflict.

It brings back the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

"The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness."

The world will challenge us. Even if not directly bashing us, the daily trials, and the constant routine can often dull the blades of our spiritual weapons.

So what are we going to do about it?

Persevere. We have one more agent on our side in this battle, referenced in a second 2022 verse:

And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them '"Receive the Holy Spirit." John 20:22

The Holy Spirit is a powerful intercessor and as God himself He can give us the courage and grace we need to accept the cup that Christ offers us.

Then we can say, not with pride, but with humility and trust: "Yes, I will drink the cup that you give me."