Cups Of Life

Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. 

But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:17-28)

Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” This statement reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in which the Grail Knight says to Jones in the Grail chamber when confronted with all sorts of fancy and jeweled chalices: “But choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you."  The Nazi antagonist chose poorly (bejeweled chalice) so he disintegrated before their eyes. Indiana wisely chose the plainest cup – the cup of a carpenter.

From what chalice do we drink?  Perhaps from the cup of life?  Author Joyce Rupp in her 2012 book “The Cup of Our Life” explains how six different types of cups can connect us with God. According to Rupp, they are: 

Cup of Life: Each one of us is a temple of the Holy One. Each of us carries a spiritual power in us that can cause even the tiniest of faith-seeds to grow. It is vital that we protect and nurture this relationship so that it thrives. The cup of our spiritual life must be cared for and replenished as it pours its contents away in loving service.

Open Cup: Almost everything needs to be opened to serve its purpose. Being open is a prerequisite for spiritual growth. For God to enter our lives fully, we must be ready to receive.

Chipped Cup: Flaws and inadequacies come with the territory of being human. Imperfections remind us of how much we need God and give us opportunity for growth and change.

Broken Cup: When the cup of our lives is broken apart, it has to have the pieces put back together again. Our brokenness can be an instrument for change.

Cup of Compassion: Each life influences and affects others in some way. The more we see our world as a vast interconnectedness of all beings, the more drawn we will be to compassion because we will see how much one life is related to and affected by another. This spiritual oneness is at the heart of Christianity. Christ is the vine, and we are the branches.

Blessing Cup: “The blessing cup that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16). The cup of blessing is a term derived from the Jewish Passover rite, meaning not only that the cup is blessed, but also that the cup itself holds a blessing. It holds the gift of life.

We will not sit on Jesus’ right or left.  But we will drink from the chalice that he drank.  In fact, we have been drinking from his cup, that is our cup, soon after we were born.

Moreover, we are his cups, or chalices, into which his blood has been and continues to be poured reminding us that regardless of our condition (chipped, broken, or otherwise), we also must serve and give our lives as a ransom for many.  

Deacon David Pierce