Listen here.
A moonlit
walk after dinner. A dozen men singing hymns as they head out of town to one of
Jesus’ favorite place to pray. It all seems so good – friends, faith, joy in
God’s salvation and the afterglow of a delicious dinner. But then Jesus ruins
the mood.
“You will
all be offended because of me this night.” The shepherd will be stuck. The
sheep will scatter. And again words about a resurrection. Jesus’ attention is
shifting to what is about to happen. He is thinking of the bitter cup his is
about to drink.
In Psalm 75,
God speaks through the Psalmist, “At the set time that I appoint I will judge
with equity.” As part of that Judgement, the psalmist says, “It is God who
executes judgement, putting down one and lifting up another. For in the hand of
the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from
it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.”
This is the
cup Jesus must drink. It is God’s punishment on the wicked … and Jesus must
drink every drop … even the dregs … the little floaters left at the bottom.
Every punishment ever deserved is poured into Jesus.
Part of the
bitterness of the moment is knowing that his friends will desert him. Peter
protested, but Jesus knew … he knew Peter would not only abandon him, he’d deny
ever knowing him.
Another part
of the bitterness is knowing that Judas was on his way to betray him. One of
the twelve men closest to Jesus was about to hand him over to be arrested,
beaten, tried, and killed.
Where can a
person turn when everything is falling apart like this? Where can a person go
when the worst is coming quickly?
Jesus turned
to prayer. He went to his Father. Notice that Jesus was clear that this cup –
the bitter cup of God’s wrath – was his to drink because of the Father’s will.
It is love for the Father that helps him to say, “Nevertheless, not my will,
but yours.”
How often do
we get this backwards, saying, “Thy will be done,” with our lips, but in our
hearts thinking, “But really let my will be done”? Our love for ourselves often
outweighs our love for God, but Jesus loves the Father, and he loves us, so
despite the agony, the fear, and the emotional anguish, he stayed the course.
He prayed. He pleaded. The Father sent an angel to strengthen Jesus, but the
plan did not change. Jesus would drink the bitter cup, the dregs of which would
cause him to cry out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus loved
his Father and showed his love by turning to him in his time of need. He showed
his love by his obedience, too. That love that Jesus has for the Father is
something we should treasure. You see Jesus loved the Father for us. He prayed
for us. He obeyed the Father for us.
And as Jesus
does all this for us, we receive more than an example to follow, we receive God’s
salvation, and in that salvation our hearts are changed so that we too may love
our Father in heaven, be reconciled to our Creator, and in love live lives of
prayer and obedience. Again – prayer and obedience that flow not only from duty
or obligation – it is prayer and obedience that flow from love.
I find
myself convicted by Jesus’ words to Peter, “Are you asleep? Could you not watch
with me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation; the spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
I know that
in my spirit – in my soul – I love God. But I also know that my actions do not
always show my love for God.
Can you
relate to that?
I hear those
words, “Are you asleep?” And I wonder, am I heedless of God’s will, his
blessings, his love? Am I awake to receive his love and to do his will?
Can you
relate to that?
And, “Could
you not watch with me one hour?” I am convicted by how short my time of prayer
is, how small my attention span is for holy things and how great it is for the
things of this world, how unfocused I become in prayer, how self-oriented, and
how slow I am to watch with Jesus for five minutes – let alone one hour!
Can you
relate to that?
But just as
Jesus knew the disciples would abandon him, Peter would deny him, and Judas would
betray him. He knew about us, too. So he prayed. He stayed the course, and he
drank the bitter cup to rescue us from our own weakness.
Jesus’
salvation frees us to receive God’s love and to love him in response. He loves
us perfectly, and it is his love that matters most for us. Nonetheless, let us
strive to love God. Let us strive to be obedient – to not fall away when
following Jesus becomes difficult. Let us strive to pray.
And, lest we
think that this is all just between, “me and God,” or that is just about “a
personal relationship with Jesus, remember that we cannot love God without that
love flowing to our neighbor. The love of God moves us into community and
relationships. We cannot rightly pray to God without regard for others.
Remember that the Lord’s Prayer is not, “My Father,” but, “Our Father.” Our
prayers are always prayed in connection with Jesus and with one another.
Jesus’
obedience and prayer led to salvation for us all. Our obedience and prayer will
lead to blessings and benefits for our neighbors. Our love for God is seen as
we love one another, as we faithfully witness about Jesus, as we show kindness
and mercy, and as we call sin, “sin,” and urge people to repent. We will learn
that love is not always sunshine and lemonade. Sometimes it is faithfulness in
darkness and drinking a bitter cup for God’s sake, and for the love of someone
else.
But no cup
we drink can be as bitter as Jesus’ cup. Nevertheless, when we love God in
Christ, we will face dark days, difficult choices, and temptations. Ask
yourself now, “Is God’s love enough? Is it worth it? Is it a great enough
treasure to move me to follow God’s plan, to stay the course, to live for Him?”
It is. And
He does not abandon us as we walk through this life, but He gives us His Holy
Spirit to keep us with Jesus in the one true faith, always clinging to Jesus’
salvation, always treasuring God’s love.
Remember
that Jesus knew He would rise after the bitter the cup. Because he rose, you
will too. That is a great treasure to receive, and on the Last Day the Spirit
will raise us up to everlasting life. Treasure God’s love. Love Him. Love your
neighbor. Amen.
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