The Apostles of Jesus never cease to amaze us with their terrible timing. The few verses before this passage contain Jesus’ third prediction of His Passion. After receiving this somber news, James and John (“The Sons of Thunder”) are seeking places of power and authority in Jesus’ government. remember that Jews were expecting a Messiah who would be a great and powerful military ruler who would save them of their temporal struggles and rule the nation, free from the oppression of foreign governments. However, it is interesting that instead of reprimanding them, Jesus simply grants them their request, to an extent. He lays before them this caveat of “drinking the cup” that he will drink. Now, in the Old Testament, this image of “drinking the cup” referred to humbly and fully accepting whatever God had in store for you, be it abundant blessing or vengeful wrath. James and John, without even thinking, agree to this, most likely focused on the idea of a “cup of blessing” rather than a portion in the suffering Jesus would endure on Calvary.
Jesus’ reference to Baptism is along a similar line. For to the Jewish Old Testament understanding, the sea and large bodies of water were considered as places of death. Being plunged into water, immersed in its depths, was symbolic of immersion in actual death and separation from the blessing of God. Thus we understand Baptism as a dying of the old person and rising again of a new person who has been reborn in the image of Christ.
However, it would not be until those dark hours on Calvary, that the realization of what it means to share in the “cup of Christ” and share in “his Baptism” would become clear to His disciples. Imagine what they were thinking when they saw their Master and teacher, hanging on a cross, and on his right and on his left were the two thieves, also crucified for their crimes. Certainly this episode and the words of Our Lord would have come racing back into their minds.
The anger of the other disciples is understandable, for they were most likely annoyed that they had not thought to ask for these positions of power first. But Jesus points out that such power seeking and ladder climbing was not to be the way of life among his followers. Certainly there would be leadership in the Church he established, however, each was to be the servant of the other. The plague of “Careerism” in the Church is most damaging and ought to be avoided at all cost.
While this is a sobering lesson for clergy and those employed by the Church, it can serve as a reminder to all of us of our true purpose and mission. We must seek humility and lowliness, not strive for the highest place. Even in secular employment this is a the case. Now granted, when opportunities for advancement present themselves and such a move up would be beneficial for our families and such, consider them a gift and work hard and do your best to secure such a promotion. But, avoid the danger of being consumed with the idea of the constant need to advance. With power and influence come two things: Prestige with Perks and Suffering.
Good leaders are able to humbly accept the prestige associated with their office and look at the benefits thereof in a healthy and controlled way, not living in a perpetual state of entitlement. However, good leaders are also open to and accepting of the sufferings that come with leadership. For when we love others and desire to lead them to greatness, there is always suffering. Parents suffer for their children, bosses suffer (or should) for their employees, teachers suffer for their students. That is truly sharing in the “cup of Christ.” Accepting suffering with grace and trust in God, understanding that there is great value in such suffering. Certainly this teaching of Jesus could not have been more counter-cultural in His day, so too in ours. However, we must not fear or avoid suffering. We must not constantly seek comfort and pleasure, but instead seek to follow the will of God, even when it is uncomfortable and unpleasant.
I leave with a quotation from the great work The Imitation of Christ:
“Vain is the life of that man who putteth his trust in men or in any created Thing. Be not ashamed to be the servant of others for the love of Jesus Christ, and to be reckoned poor in this life. Rest not upon thyself, but build thy hope in God. Do what lieth in thy power, and God will help thy good intent. Trust not in thy learning, nor in the cleverness of any that lives, but rather trust in the favour of God, who resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.”
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