In the last several weeks of gospel lessons, we have heard Jesus say a few things that are disturbing; he says more than once that he is going to be killed by the powers that be, and he also says, that the view of the world that everyone is operating under isn’t God’s idea; that in God’s world, in God’s kingdom, those who are last are really first, and that those who are powerful really must be servants… and so there’s part of me that’s not surprised by James’ and John’s request, or by their complete lack of understanding of what it is they are actually asking for. Who could understand what Jesus is trying to say to them? Their understanding of power and of strength have nothing to do with Jesus’ vision… but their understanding has everything to do with the world’s vision…
“Can you drink the cup?” he asks them… Let’s fast forward a bit to that horrible night after Jesus washes the feet of his disciples… even Jesus, at that moment, has doubts about his own ability to drink the cup that he is about to be given… his cup is not a royal goblet of gold and jewels; that appears to be the cup that James and John are interested in; sitting at the right and left of that kind of king would mean power, fame and prestige… but Jesus will not sit on a mighty throne or drink from a golden cup; his throne will be an instrument of shame and torture; those who shall sit at his right and his left will be criminals who are killed for crimes against the empire…and on that day, it is the two thieves who shall enter into paradise ahead of James and John… but not to worry; as Jesus tells them, they shall indeed drink the cup… at least one of them dies at the hands of the empire for his role preaching the gospel…
And even though their request was a bit misguided, I have some sympathy for the two brothers… they have been following their friend and teacher and have watched him do some amazing things; being associated with him up to this point, has been relatively easy… their desire for power may even come from a place of wanting to do good… but they just don’t understand what they’re asking for…
We would normally drink from a cup today…it’s a very pretty cup really; silver, shiny… lovely to look upon, lovely to hold… and I will take a portion of the wine that it holds for all of us… it looks a great deal like the goblet that James and John might have wanted to drink from as they celebrated the power they desired…
But this is no goblet of earthly power. It is the cup of God’s kingdom, the cup of salvation for the whole world, the cup that holds the blood of Jesus. We who drink from this cup are not called to earthly power and prestige; rather we who drink from this cup have promised to follow Jesus wherever he leads us; we who drink from this cup, are called to a life of service to God’s people and to God’s kingdom. Being a disciple is not something that puts us in a position of glory, but rather, being a disciple puts us where Jesus’ people are… and who are his people? They are the beggars, the disabled, the lonely, the criminals, the adulterers… all those people who were forgotten and considered unworthy of anyone’s attention… it’s not really an A list, is it? These people that Jesus spends his time with certainly are not the kind of associations that are going to get us into the finest places… But then again, who is it that defines what the finest place is? I guess that depends on who we ask. Is it a palace filled with treasure? Or is the finest place a hill named “the place of the skull” where an instrument of torture and death becomes the means for salvation and eternal life?
So… are we able to drink the cup? Jesus has invited us to share in his kingdom and in his power which is beyond our comprehension. This place has been prepared for us…. so come and drink his cup… the cup of service, the cup of love, the cup of salvation.