August 16th, 20

 Lift Up the Cup

Today’s readings are Jeremiah 23, 25 and John 19.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

  one. 

Jeremiah is told by God to prohphesy.  God tells him to take a cup – the cup of God’s wrath.  He’s told to take this cup of God’s anger to all nations and make them drink from it.  John talks of the cup of God’s wrath, too.   But the nations don’t have to drink from it.  God’s son will drink from it. The wrath in Jeremiah’s cup is for all the world’s hatred, injustice, evil, brokenness.   Something must be done to make things right.  

But God, in his great love, has given us his Son, and he, willingly, lifts up this cup of wrath and drinks it.  He drains it to the dregs.  He does this so that we might pick up his cup of salvation.  God’s fury was spent on his willing and loving Son, our Saviour King, who came to suffer and die, and give himself as a ransom for our life.  He rested in a tomb – resting from his work –  having reconciled us through his death.  But the story isn’t over.  It doesn’t end here, because Sunday is coming.  On Sunday came another cup – the cup of salvation.  

This second cup is offered to you and me.  In it we are offered life!  We are reconciled by his death – saved by his Life. That’s where the story begins!  That story gets recreated every day in the lives and imaginations of men and women, boys and girls, all around the world.  It’s a story of two cups:  the cup of God’s wrath and the cup of salvation.  He drinks them both so that we only need to drink one.  Hallelujah.

Lift up that cup, in thanks and praise.  Live in the light of what’s been done for you – and may you know the joy of it!

You are loved!