The Cup of Life.

Matthew 20:20-23 The mother of Zebedee’s sons makes her request

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came with her sons to make a request of him and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your Kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said, ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my father.’

Matthew 20:24-28 Leadership with service

When the other ten heard this, they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Great means many things we might describe a person, or we might say ‘great job playing football.’ But being great means, it comes with some great responsibilities especially when we are talking about following God. As I was researching, I found this quote and wanted to share it with you all.

“We need to be angels for each other, to give each other strength and consolation. Because only when we fully realize that the cup of life is not only a cup of sorrow but also a cup of joy will we be able to drink it.” Henri J.M. Nouwen

We start our journey through grace looking at the cup a cup filled with sorrows and joys. How can we ever repay the Lord for drinking and draining a cup of God’s wrath which transformed into the cup of life? 

What is it we want Women of Faith and Hope? Can we drink from the same cup Jesus drinks from? Life is precious and fragile, and I believe we are all doing our best and that is something we need to be proud of, we have finished our journey in self-love, and I hope you found love for yourself, and others and I want to add respect, a little respect for yourself and others goes along way. Respect is showing consideration towards a person’s or your own needs and feelings when we disrespect, we show no regard towards a person’s or our own feelings, rights, or well-being. I always thought respect was something we offered no matter what because you don’t know what someone is going through, now call me crazy, but I think respect is something we must work towards in our everyday relationships. 

Talking about relationships, Over seven weeks my husband and I attended a marriage course on Zoom and on the 11th of September we attended a marriage retreat, and we were asked to pray and say, "God, I choose to forgive," and you say the name you hear but I didn't hear a name I heard, "everyone," and straight away I went to the scene of Jesus on the cross and he says, "Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing" Luke 23:34.

I think about the many saints we have read and heard about but there is something about their lives that reminds me of the Passion of Christ, his sufferings, rejection, and his death I would also like to add their service to God and others because as we have heard in the Gospel a few weeks ago, Jesus sat down, called the twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all’ Mark 9:30-37. When we become a servant of all we should look to the saints and the life of Jesus they are our true servant leaders who attract people to God but to be a servant of all means we look around and see if there is a need and fill it. Someone recently said to me that right now in the world our faith is under attack, and we should be defending it not staying quiet, but I beg to differ because what the world needs right now is a lot of love, kindness, peace, and unity and for us all to look around and see a need and fill it. There is no need to fight, argue or bicker because the world doesn’t need that right now. If we choose to be first then we must except suffering, rejection, and death because we become the hands, the feet, the ears, and the voice of Jesus Christ here on earth and we partake in the cup of the new covenant of the Lord.

Exodus 6:6-7

Say this, then, to the sons of Israel, I am the LORD, I will free you of the burdens which the Egyptians lay on you. I will release you from slavery to them, and with my arm outstretched and my strokes of power I will deliver you. I will adopt you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that it is I, the LORD your God, who have freed you from the Egyptians burdens.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope

Written and created by My Mother Rose.