Jeremiah 18:18-20, Psalm 31, Matthew 20:17-28
Can you drink the cup?
The Olympic Winter games have come to a conclusion and the winning athletes are back home with the thoughts of their medal victories now finally starting to sink in. Probably for any Olympic hopeful the very fact of qualifying for the games must feel a little like winning a gold medal in itself whether one ultimately emerges victorious or not. The long hours of practice and years of disciplined training have paid off with that wonderful recognition that they are counted amoung the elite in their sport.
People are willing to go to great lengths, if the reward is great enough. The reward might be a trophy or a medal, for some it is money and for others it is simply knowing that they are the best at what they do. But where is the motivation if the reward is not recognition but persecution?
In the Gospel today Jesus invites his disciples to follow him to Jerusalem where he is to meet his fate on the cross. Though he describes clearly the suffering he is going to face the disciples are more interested in what is in it for them; what is the selling point? While they are thinking about it the mother of James and John comes right out and asks. “Make a place for these sons of mine; one at your right and one at your left.” Clearly she saw a reward at the end of the road, a big trophy. Jesus replies, “Yes, there is a cup waiting, but its not what you are thinking.” The cup that Jesus was describing could not have been more different from a trophy full of Champagne. “Can you drink the Cup that I will drink?”
Doing the will of God has always been costly in human terms. Jeremiah in today’s first reading is certainly aware that his days are numbered if he continues to preach the difficult message of justice and faithfulness. Yet despite the opposition the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures persevered just as the disciples did in the New Testament. They are witnesses that the treasure we seek, though, not something that can be clearly understood in this life is far more rewarding then Gold medals or silver trophies. It is treasure which has an eternal value.
Just like not all weekend athletes will be able to see themselves competing one day in the Olympic games, not all Christians will be called to the same degree of self-sacrifice as the prophets or martyrs of the bible. Yet we are still called to be willing to stand on the podium, to share our faith even when it can at times be difficult or unpopular. We can do so when we realize that, in the words of Dorthy Day, “If we have achieved anything in this life it’s because we have not been afraid to talk about God.”
Have a conversation about God today with someone you know?
Pray for those who persecute you on account of your faith.
Fr. Jon, I am so impressed with your writing! You give me so much to think about! “But where is the motivation if the reward is not recognition but persecution?” That really stands out to me. I’m always so hungry for praise and really need to work at being humble. It reminds me of Henri Nouwen when he said he could be speaking to a big room of people and afterwards hundreds of people come and tell him what a good job he did, but one person criticizes him. What does he remember? That one criticism.
Love the Dorothy Day quote, too!
Hope you’re feeling better soon and thanks for the link on your blog!
Yeah that is pretty natural for just about everyone I would guess. I have had that same experience of having one bit of negative feedback ruin my self esteem for a moment. Luck thing is we don’t have to be bulletproof superheros to be good disciples. We receive the strength to persevere from the Spirit, not from ourselves. And it certainly helps when we support each other. Have a good day Anne.