Rev Michael Anokye: LENT – 14 MARCH 2024
“CAN YOU DRINK MY CUP?”
The prayer of Jesus in John 17.
Father, I pray that You protect them by the power of Your name so that they may be one as We are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe.
I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them. My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them by the truth of Your word. Amen.
Read the chapter HERE
Reading: MARK 10:32-45
Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus told them that he would be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law, who would condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles. James and John asked Jesus to let them sit at his right and left in his glory, but Jesus said these places belonged to those the Father had prepared for. He added that whoever wants to be great among them must be their servant, and whoever wants to be first must be a slave of all. Jesus explains that even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Read the whole chapter HERE
Reflection:
As they neared Jerusalem, the disciples sensed the danger of their mission. They were amazed by Jesus’s courage, who fearlessly walked towards His destiny at Calvary. This is especially remarkable given our frequent fear as Christians to stand up for Jesus and trust Him with our problems.
The disciples followed Jesus despite being afraid after He told them He would be crucified and rise again. Jesus also predicted that they would mock Him, whip Him, spit on Him, and kill Him, which He submitted to out of love for us.
Following Jesus Christ comes with a cost. In Luke 14:27, (Read HERE) Jesus tells his disciples that whoever does not carry their cross and follow him cannot be his disciple. The cross represents the suffering that Jesus himself endured. As Christians, carrying our cross means being willing to endure our hardships for the sake of Jesus. Only when we are willing to carry our cross, that is where we will we see the victory of God.
James and John sought high political office and status in Jesus’s administration. Jesus, however, had already predicted His forthcoming suffering and established that His Kingdom was not of this world. He asked James and John, “Can you drink my cup?” to remind them that the path to greatness in His Kingdom was not earthly but spiritual.
Jesus’s Kingdom operates differently from the world. Humility and a servant attitude are the only prerequisites for leadership. He gave His life as a ransom for many, offering deliverance through the purchase of His blood. An integral part of our redemption is serving one another with the love and joy of God.
The prayer of Jesus in John 17: (Read the Chapter HERE)
Father, I pray for all who believe in me that we may be one, as you are in me, and I am in you. May they also be in us so the world may know what you sent me. I have given them Your glory so that they may be one. Then the world will know that You loved them as You loved me. Amen.
Discussion Pointers:
1. Why do you follow Jesus?
2. How do you respond to Christ amid trouble and fear?
3. Can you drink from the cup that Jesus drinks from and share in
His suffering?