Take This Cup

"Take this cup..." - Jesus, in Luke 22:17-20

During a recent meal hosted by immigrant chefs, we pulled up chairs to our assigned table.

Above our place settings were small, clear cups filled with burgundy fluid over ice.

We took guesses: juice or soda? Smooth or carbonated? Sweet or tangy?

Each tablemate approached their cup uniquely. Some took immediate sips.

Others sniffed and swirled. Some looked to the reactions of others.

A few decided to forego the unknown.

There are cups which make up the days of our lives.

Some are given and placed directly before us, ready or not.

Some are chosen by us with unknown outcomes.

Given or chosen.

What are the cups of your days?

Some are easier on the palate, like the sweet cups of joys, friendships and celebrations.

Some are layered, like the savory cups of fulfilling work or deep connection.

Other cups are sour, of hurt and pain.

Some are the bitter cups of ongoing hardship or loneliness.

Given or chosen, we will all drink from all of these cups.

And maybe the Last Supper speaks to these cups.

Because during that Passover meal, not one, but four cups of wine were offered.

Tradition during the meal called for the four cups of wine to remember history:

the four promises made by God to the Israelites.

Cup One: "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” (Sanctification or Saving)

Cup Two: “I will deliver you from bondage.” (Deliverance or Judgment)

Cup Three: "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.” (Blessing or Redemption)

Cup Four: “I will take you to be my people.” (Praise or Restoration)

And as Lent continues on, I'm brought back to these cups and the history of the faith.

Could we use these cups during the remainder of Lent to consider the "cups of our days,"

how they are filled and emptied, and how they are given and chosen?

Could these cups help guide us in growing our relationship with God-

the God who was, is, and always will be?

Cup One:

Truth: We are saved by God to live our lives for God.

Do I notice all the ways God gives to fill my cup with His love?

Do I choose the truth of this Love for myself and for His creation?

Do I choose to fill my cup with what God loves?

A dear friend reminds me: "Become rich in what matters to God."

Verse to contemplate:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want...

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

(You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.) Psalm 23

Cup Two:

Tension: We live in constant tension between the worldly and the spiritual.

What contents of my cup - my words, thoughts and actions - align with the Spirit?

What does the honest evidence suggest? How can I be more like Jesus?

One quote asks, "If you were accused of being a Christ-follower,

would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

Verse to consider:

"This is a large work I've called you into,

but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small.

Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance.

The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice."

-Jesus in Matt.10:42

Cup Three:

Trade: We know that Christ traded His life for us, for the forgiveness of our sins,

to give us eternal life.

When I'd like to "trade cups" with someone else, do I think of what Christ traded for me?

What contents of my cup can I pour out in gratitude for what He has done for me?

Verse to contemplate:

Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks,

He gave it to them, saying,

"Drink from it, all of you.

This is the blood of the covenant,

which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins." Mt. 26:27

Cup Four:

Trust: God's redemptive plan for the future is unknown and is trustworthy.

Do I acknowledge God's timing and abundance, or fear's scarcity?

Will I trust that God is the God Who gives and takes away -

Who is unceasingly pouring-in and out-pouring?

Verse to consider:

"My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away

unless I drink of it,

may Your will be done."

-Jesus in Matt. 26:42

The Last Supper.

The four cups.

Just as Jesus's closest followers were challenged to understand and appreciate

what Christ would give,

so are we challenged to comprehend and realize His gift.

Christ, the new cup, would not be a bejeweled vessel high upon an unreachable shelf.

Christ, the new cup, would embody and replace all four cups of Passover.

Christ, the new cup, would be broken.

Shattered.

Emptied.

For all and for each.

Christ was given to us, chosen by His Father.

We have the gift of free choice,

to choose His Cup which fills us to overflowing.

The burgundy fluid over ice? The one served at the immigrant chef-hosted dinner?

It swirled clear.

It smelled of flower and fruit.

It tasted like red roses and a blend of apples.

As the chef told her story, she described how she could not imagine this type of life

when she and her family were living in refugee camps.

She expressed her gratitude in the supper-club events,

and she shared of her commitment to feeding unhoused individuals in our city,

her new home.

It was as though thorns turned into a bouquet right in front of our eyes.

Our cups overflowed...