“Let This Cup Pass From Me”

Matthew 26:39 “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

I can remember watching my kids learn how to ride a bike. There was the usual course of tricycles, then a two wheeler bike with training wheels, and then the big step to taking off without the training wheels. Falling was part of the experience. Having a helmet is a necessity. It’s all a part of the learning process we as parents would avoid for our children if we could.

There are some very tough lessons in life that we each must learn. Some can be physically painful, and some can be emotionally painful. Given the choice, there are few among us who would jump up and volunteer to have additional pain heaped on us in order to learn through experience. Personally, I would rather read about something than go through it. I am just not a big fan of pain. And I suspect most of you reading this have the same perspective. But the important lesson from the Matthew 26 passage above is that there is a will that is above our own will that we must respect and submit to. That will I am referring to is the “Will of God.” We each have our own personal struggle to either go my way, or to seek out what God would have us do. We are such good little control freaks that we do not often want to submit to the will of the Father. We are by nature at cross purposes with God. It started back in the Garden of Eden, and has not changed much since. But Jesus clearly illustrates how important it is for all of us to submit to the will of the Father. In the case of Jesus, he knew what lay ahead for him. Betrayal, scorn, pain, ridicule, and the most painful death one could imagine. But the end purpose was so far beyond his mere needs. Through his sacrifice on the cross, all mankind would be reconciled. The sting of death would be no more.

That begs the question of what about you and I? When we do not seek out the will of the Father, what are we missing? What greater purpose does God have in mind for each of us that we need to embrace? I implore each of you to seek out, through prayer, what the will of the Father is for you. No one will guarantee it will be painless, but you are guaranteed a great finish. It will be a smooth landing so to speak. So pray my friends. Pray early and pray often to find the will of God for you in your life.

PRAYER: Almighty God the sacrifice of Jesus has given us the most precious gift of all. He has brought about our reconciliation with You Father. You, in Your mercy gave us this gift. Help us to see Your will and to seek Your will for us in our lives. Help us to take the cup that You have to offer us. We thank You in the name of Your Son who willingly took the terrible cup for all. Amen