The cup and the baptism

"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"(Mark 10:38)

Jesus asked James and John, "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" All of sudden the atmosphere became serious. This question contained the Passion of Christ. The cup and the baptism are a symbol of the suffering.

It is known that Jesus prayed in the mount of Gethsemane at the night before crucifixion following, "Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36) He expressed his destiny of impending crucifixion as the cup to drink. His destiny was the conclusion of complete failure of his life.

People don’t think seriously why Jesus’ crucifixion is the result of complete failure of his life. Look at this. The crucifixion means death, a cursed death. Death means the termination of one’s life. The meaning of Jesus’ crucifixion is his life was terminated. So he prayed God to take this cup from him.

Doesn’t it mean to believe Jesus and to be his disciple is ready for such destiny? If there is someone to dream successful life by having faith in Jesus, doesn’t it mean that he know nothing about Jesus’ destiny yet?

You may ask isn’t there resurrection. Yes. Jesus has resurrected after three days among the dead. We hope the resurrection. However, the resurrected life is not the life of present. It is a promise, a hope and so it is the object of eschatological waiting. Here and now the crucifixion is only the end. Can we drink such cup? It is a dreadful thing.