The Cup

On a cold and desperate night
he wrestled with God.
His friends slept in the garden,
Keeping watch.
He struggled and fought
with his father,
praying for a different path.
"Let this cup pass from me."
In the awe of the ultimate obedience
Sometimes we forget
The blood-soaked desire for something else.

And yet he was the son of God.
Obedient. Trusting.
In love with us.
Beyond anything else.
Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends.

So he picked up my cup
and he drank from it.
All of it.
The sin, the hate, the pain.
The wrongs that I have done.
The pain that I will bring.
He drained my cup,
and the blood flowed down his side.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And now, my cup runneth over.
Blessings and grace abundant
Have filled my life.
I am set free for joyful obedience.
Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me
All the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

Now he invites us to the table.
He takes the bread, breaks it.
"Take, eat, this is my body,
broken for you."
He takes the cup,
Gives thanks for it,
and gives it to us.
"Drink from it, all of you."
It is a cup of forgiveness,
Not condemnation.
Because he did not allow
the cup to pass from him.

Do this in remembrance of me.

Sources: John 15:13, Chorus from Jesus Paid it All, Psalm 23, Selected Lines from Matthew 26:26-29. Inspiration from the hymn the choir sang last night (Thy Will be Done) and the communion ritual.

Image: The sky on Wednesday, as I was stuck in a traffic jam on I-64.