The Cup of Deliverance
The night before He died…
Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples in the Upper Room. Together, they ate the Passover meal according to the ritual laid out in the Jewish Seder, a worshipful ceremony which celebrates God’s work in their national history. The Seder service retells their story through four ‘cups’: the Cup of Freedom, the Cup of Deliverance, the Cup of Redemption and the Cup of Hallel (Praise).
Each section of the Seder — each cup, if you will — has a story that precedes it. At the conclusion of the storyline, participants consume the whole cup of wine or juice. The second cup, the Cup of Deliverance, specifically commemorates God’s work in freeing the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt through each of the plagues and ultimately the death of all firstborn (Exodus 7-12). In my study of the Passover meal, I learned that this second cup is not a full cup of wine.
In the Bible, a full or overflowing cup is a symbol of joy or satisfaction.
The Jewish people take no joy in the many deaths their deliverance required. And so, when the wine is poured for the Second Cup, it is filled only partially. Furthermore, in the telling of the Second Cup, the Jews recount each of the ten plagues and spill a drop of wine for each plague, representing a loss of joy due to the suffering of their enemies.
As we solemnly observe Maundy Thursday and Good Friday in anticipation of Easter this Sunday, I wonder if we might take a cue from Israel and pour our glasses only partially full at mealtimes in the coming days before Easter when our joy is again full.
In this might we remember that our deliverance from the wages of sin cost Jesus His life.
He died for us while we were still His enemies (Romans 5:6-8). His willingness to drink the cup set before Him, purchased our redemption.
Consider participating in or hosting a Christian Seder;
I recommend Ann Hibbard’s book,
Family Celebrations at Easter.
For Full Effect
Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
— James 1:2-4 ESV
“…let steadfastness have its full effect.” That little three-letter word ‘let’ startled me in this verse. It sounded so… passive. In a sense, I liked that because it evoked a picture in my mind of being wholly submitted, as if laid on the altar. Read More
Comparatively Speaking
In my personal study early this week, I read about the tongue and what our speech reveals about our hearts:
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
— Luke 6:45 ESV
Later in the week:
That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse.
— Galatians 5:25 MSG
And then I conversed with a woman who has recently launched a non-profit organization and is seeing God at work in and through her ministry; it is bearing much fruit. I genuinely rejoice with her at God’s blessing; I thrill in the knowledge that lives are being changed in most tangible ways as a result of her obedience. Read More
Permitted with Purpose
Why did God make me this way?
This was my child’s lament in the throes of algebra-induced frustration. I tried (unsuccessfully) not to cry, too; I ache for it to be different for her.
Despite her struggle, she acknowledges God’s power to cause a change in her abilities. Yet, she was, to some degree, blaming Him; her comment indicts God for not allowing it to come easily for her.
I am powerless to change this for her. I know that God can, yet to this point has chosen not to. I felt my role was to help lead her to see what God was accomplishing in and through it. When I asked what she thought, she came up empty. I reminded her that God made her perfectly, wonderfully (Psalm 139:14), and shared with her what I have observed: Read More
Living Water
I’ve been teaching my youngest daughter about the importance of daily time spent with God, in prayer and in His Word. I directed her attention to a devotional book and did the first one with her to set the stage.
The passage was Psalm 63:1 ESV
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Reflecting on thirst, I found it ironic that since this child’s birth, I have struggled with being hydrated. Not due to a lack of water available to me, but due to a lack of desire for it. I was the dutiful pregnant mother, slugging back the requisite ounces for my baby’s health. I continued to consume the water through the season of nursing her. But I went into a full state of hydro-rebellion after weaning. If I didn’t have to drink it, I wasn’t gonna. And you can’t make me. [Insert foot-stomping and arm-crossing here.] Read More
Justice for All
Last weekend I attended The Justice Conference in Portland. The conference founder, Ken Whytsma, in the first session expressed a desire that God would crush us. Crush us so that we might be moved to action.
All too often we are inspired, moved or convicted through witnessing an event or hearing someone’s heart. We have every intention of acting on it, yet the fire dwindles and nothing is changed. I have continued to reflect on all I heard and learned last weekend, but my everyday life is crowding it out. But what I must remember is that the everyday lives of others are nowhere near as plentiful, safe, or nourished. I must not allow my everyday life to blind me to the reality of theirs. As a means to keep these issues at the forefront of my mind, I share with you the nuggets of wisdom I gleaned from the conference. I cannot possibly render their words as well as they did, but this might serve to remind me and inspire you. Read More
Washed Away
I consider it chemotherapy for my prideful, sinful nature.
All it takes is a few moments standing at the edge of the ocean for me to be reminded swiftly and surely of my utter insignificance but for the love of God.
I got a hefty dose this week during a trip to Portland. We’d migrated to the coast mid-morning and were frustrated at the onslaught of rain, which relegated us to indoor activities instead of beach-combing and tidepool-sleuthing. My kids were quickly disinterested in the options available to us. I was quickly ‘disinterested’ in their attitudes. As the day progressed, our patience for one another eroded. Eventually, as darkness approached with rain-unabated, we pulled on rain boots, donned hats, gloves and coats, and extended umbrellas. Out we went to savor whatever we could of this precious time at the edge. Read More
What is Love?
No, I’m not referring to Haddaway’s 1990’s hit, revived by the SNL ‘Roxbury’ sketches.
Every year around Valentine’s Day, 1 Corinthians 13 trends on Twitter and Facebook because of its references to love. The same passage is so commonly used in wedding ceremonies (mine included) that it’s almost a pre-requisite.
I’m tempted to roll my eyes at the litany of 1 Corinthians 13 Tweets and status updates, because the word used in that passage for love is a Greek word (agapē). Agapē describes the love that only God can manifest, not the romantic love (eros) touted on February 14th. Agapē is the word used in 1 John 4:8 to describe God Himself. By contrast, the Greek word used in the Bible to describe the interrelationships of humans is phileō.
Tiptoe or Dance?
As I pull open the door to the sanctuary each week, my eyes search immediately to see whether or not he’s playing that day: the man on the guitar, in the back. As I lack any musical ability whatsoever (someday I’ll recount my 7th grade choir audition for you), I don’t know the specific instrument he plays; I just know it’s in the guitar ‘family.’
We have a gifted, faithful and God-centered group of musicians who offer their time and talent back to the Lord each week. I regard them each highly. This man, however, stands out to me, despite the fact that he’s not ‘up front’ as one of the vocalists of the team.
You see, at any given point during the music, it is evident to me that he is utterly and unabashedly worshipping. He’s not leading song for the rest of us, he is worshipping. And it’s beautiful. His feet keep time in a march of praise. He doesn’t wear a mic, but he sings. He turns his body slightly off center, away from us, almost as if that physical act reminds him for Whom he plays: God alone. His eyes are often closed, but without any spiritual pretense. He seems oblivious to the presence of another person in the room, let alone many people, giving no attention to what others might think of him. Read More
Giving…With Just Cause
Should we base our tithe on our pre-tax or post-tax income? This debate occurs somewhat frequently in circles when the topic of tithing arises. I’ve asked the question, too.
Frankly, I’ve decided it’s beside the point. I find it to be a flimsy veil behind which hands are clenched tightly around dollars and ‘stuff.’ What, then, will liberate treasure from our grubby little mitts?
Commitment and Sacrifice
With commitment comes a loss of freedom. Committing to give in the form of dollars or hours implicitly requires denial of self in another area, if for no other reason than we lack infinite resources.
Sacrifice, by definition, isn’t sacrifice unless it costs something. When we give to a charitable organization, including churches, we commonly deduct it on our Federal taxes, rendering our sacrifice less costly to us. Read More
