Can You Drink the Cup?
Can You Drink the Cup? Matthew 20:17–34 Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem. He tells his disciples plainly what is waiting for him there: betrayal, condemnation, mockery, flogging, crucifixion—and resurrection. He is going up to Jerusalem, but the way up is sometimes down. It is down into service. Down into compassion. Down into surrender. Down into the costly love that refuses to grasp for power. And immediately after Jesus tells them this, James and John come seeking the best seats in the kingdom. They want one at his right hand and one at his left. They are posturing and negotiating. They still seem to imagine that Jesus is going to march into Jerusalem, take over, and need a couple of trusted associates to help him run things. We understand that impulse. You can still visit old Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where a guide will point out pews once rented by prominent families. They bought the best seats, and no one else could sit there. Even afte...