Two Cups: World Cup and Christ’s Cup
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17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
A Mother’s Request
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Sermon preached at St Catherine's MidWeek Communion 23 Feb 2011
Introduction
Who is the greatest person of our time? What after all is greatness? Does greatness happen - or do you make it happen? Actor (Colin Firth, Kings speech) , Pope, David Beckham, Billy Graham? Different types of greatness and two different cups.
This reading is all about drinking from two different cups, the world’s Cup and Christ’ cup.
In the reading Jesus predicts what will happen when they get to Jerusalem Matt 20:18 He will be arrested, crucified, he will die and he will rise again. NB Jesus is speaking about his death and the way he would die at least a week before he died. This reading is the 3rd prediction by Jesus of his own death. The other predictions Mark 8v31; 9v31 were given up to 12 months before he died.
The world's cup
Then there follows an incident which demonstrated that they hadn't a clue what Jesus was talking about. They didn’t understand the meaning of Jesus’ words and how it would affect their lives. V20 Mother of James and John sons of Zebedee – ‘In your kingdom can my boys be left and right hand men?’ Like ministers of state or Cabinet members. Their father Zebedee owned a fishing business…they were better off than the others…a higher up in the pecking order…In the world’s ratings, they deserved more privileges.. That’s the Worlds Cup ...about trophies and achievements and winning. [Illustr. Pecking order].
[Illustr]F.A v John Terry interviews with media& players meeting called to discuss team problems. Press says the FA are angry about what is being said about them - It's as if they're all jostling for position (a position of greatness) in the big debate over England's poor performance in 2010 World Cup. Everyone flexing their muscles wanting to call the shots.
When Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God they thought of a political change that was to happen, the Romans would loose out, and Jesus would be the Prime Minister and they were putting their name forward for the Cabinet. That's the worlds cup!. But the kingdom of God is not about political change it is about a change of the heart. V27 if one of you wants to be great he must be the servant of the rest… v28 even the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.
Greatness of a different kind
Jesus called a meeting v24 [the other disciples wanted their piece of the action, they wanted to be Cabinet members in the new kingdom, they wanted to be part of the ruling elite]. Our Lord dealt with all the disciples aspirations to greatness. Jesus says (v26) this is not the way it should be among you. That is the world's way of greatness, Jesus was speaking about a greatness of a different kind. V27 If you want to be great in God's kingdom you must be the servant of the rest (The Greek word for waiter, must serve everyone first). They soon find out that the kingdom where they want to be left & right-hand men to the Lord is a kingdom, where to advance may involve being broken and may involve suffering, where the first are last, where the leaders serve. Indeed ultimately Jesus served us all when he gave his life for us. When Jesus said in v28 that he came to give his life as a ransom for many.
He meant he was going to serve us, to stand in our place, take the rap for our sin [our lies, our pride, our lust, our desires for greatness]. [Illustr. The ransom – the tourists walking up the mountain in Colombia held by 'terrorists' only by paying the price they are demanding will the tourists go free.] Only by Jesus paying the price for us can we be free, the price was his blood on the cross.
There is a picture of the ransom in the reading from Isaiah 53 4-7 written 700 years before Christ. 'He was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the punishment that made us whole.' That is greatness of another kind.
Why would anyone want to respond to this call to serve?
Jesus was showing his disciples (and us) a vision of community where everyone is eager to serve others. I find that vision of community exciting. Here in this church we have many examples of that community at work, serving teas, giving lifts, kids work, welcome, small groups, flowers, visiting.. I could go on……I find it exciting.
That's why we respond to this call to serve. The job's never done, we can never get to the top cause we're aiming for the bottom!
If you are sitting in a room full of friends, then ask God how can you serve the rest, if you're in a work situation where people are jostling for position, ask God how you can serve. If you are driving, if you are drinking, if you are playing sport, if you have a needy neighbour, if you are just doing the normal things in life ask God to show you how you can serve. And you'll see it builds community around you. That's what's so great about greatness of the other kind.
[Illustr] During the American Civil War a man called George in civilian clothes, rode past a group of soldiers repairing a defensive barricade. Their Corporal was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. When asked why by the rider, he said with great dignity, "Sir, I am a corporal!" George apologised, dismounted, and started to help the exhausted soldiers. The job done, George turned to the corporal and said, "Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, come to your commander-in-chief, the name's George Washington, and I will come and help you again." Then George got back on horse and rode off. George Washington had learned the truth in these words of Jesus: Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. The young corporal had these words modelled to him from the man at the top.
The disciples, likewise, receive from their leader a picture of servanthood. And in time they began to imitate their leader - Jesus Christ. We too have that same - Jesus, with us and in us. And here in Ventnor, we can model Jesus Christ's kind of greatness to those around us.
Christ’s cup.
This passage sheds light on what it means to live the Christian life. ‘Those who share his triumph must drink this cup? What cup? James & John had different outcomes, James died a martyr (Acts 12:2) whilst John lived to old age in Ephesus and died a natural death (~100yrs).
For John the ‘cup’ he had to drink from was the constant discipline and struggle of Christian living. So Christ’s cup is not martyrdom style cup of suffering; short painful persecution. Christ’s cup may be a long life of daily Christian living, daily sacrifice, daily joys and disappointments, struggles.
Polycarp is someone who drank from both the cup of daily Christian living and martyrdom. …
The proconsul sought to persuade him to deny Christ, saying, Have respect to your old age, and other similar things…….Swear by the fortune of Cæsar; repent, and say, Away with the Atheists. But Polycarp, gazing with a stern countenance on all the multitude …….. in the stadium, and waving his hand towards them, while with groans he looked up to heaven, said, ‘Away with the Atheists.’ Then, the proconsul urging him, and saying, Swear, and I will set you at liberty, reproach Christ; Polycarp declared, 86 years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?
Christ raises a toast!
we’ve looked at the world’s cup and Christ’s cup, In conclusion I want to suggest Jesus Christ wants to make a toast as he invites us to drink from his cup.
Notice Jesus doesn’t condemn James or John or their mother for this request for status in Christ’s Kingdom. He says, Matt: 20:22 ‘you don’t know what you are asking’… ‘are you able to drink this cup?’… ‘we are able’… ‘You will indeed drink my cup.’ - I can see no condemnation here.
What does this teach us? It teaches me that as Jesus invites them to drink from his cup, he raises a toast to his disciples because …Jesus believes in them! James & John, despite their selfish request and despite the other disciples anger (v24). Jesus still counts them as his own.
One of the great truths we can hold on to even when we hate ourselves, for letting Christ down, when we loathe ourselves for sinful thoughts and ungodly actions. One great truth stands out .. Jesus raises a toast to you…. Jesus believes in you! The irony of it ……
The Christian is the person who trusts in Jesus and surprisingly despite ourselves Jesus trusts us.
