Sometimes the cup seems too heavy to handle. As Jesus faced his arrest, condemnation, torture and death upon the cross, the cup seemed too much of a burden for him. He prayed that he might be spared of its consequences. Yet ultimately, he did drink from the cup because it was the will of the Father to do so, and he always did the will of the Father.

The cup he prayed about that day was the cup of suffering. None of us ever wants to drink from the cup of suffering. We want to avoid it at all cost. Yet sometimes it comes our way whether we like it or not. Sometimes, however, we take it up for the very same reason that Jesus did. We take up the cup of suffering in order to bring about something else, something more wondrous for ourselves or for those we love. Jesus took up the cup of suffering because he knew it would result in our salvation. He took up the cup of suffering because he knew it would, by the grace of God, be transformed into the cup of salvation, the cup of glory.