Breaking the Bread (Oct. 22): "Cup of Salvation"

Breaking the Bread: Biblical Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings.
copyright St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology (www.salvationhistory.com)
[Dr. Scott Hahn, President]

"Cup of Salvation" October 22, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: (go to http://www.usccb.org/nab/102206.shtml ) Isaiah 53:10-11;
Psalm 33:4-5,18-20, 22; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45

The sons of Zebedee hardly know what they're asking in today's Gospel. They are thinking in terms of how the Gentiles rule, of royal privileges and honors.

But the road to Christ's kingdom is by way of His cross. To share in His glory, we must be willing to drink the cup that He drinks.

The cup is an Old Testament image for God's judgment. The wicked would be made to drink this cup in punnishment for their sins (see Psalm 75:9; Jeremiah 22:15, 28; Isaiah 51:17). But Jesus has come to drink this cup on behalf of all humanity. He has come to be baptized--which means plunged or immersed--into the sufferings we all deserve for our sins (compare Luke 12:50).

In this He will fulfill the task of Isaiah's suffering servant, whom we read about in today's First Reading. The Son of Man will give His life as an offering for sin, as once Israel's priests offered sacrifices for the sins of the people (Leviticus 5:17-19).

Jesus is the heavenly high priest of all humanity, as we hear in today's Epistle. Israel's high priests offered the blood of goats and calves in the temple sanctuary. But Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood (see Hebrews 9:12).

And by bearing our guilt and offering His life to do the will of God, Jesus ransomed "the many"--paying the price to redeem humanity from spiritual slavery to sin and death.

He has delivered us from death, as we rejoice in today's Psalm.

We need to hold fast to our confession of faith, as today's Epistle exhorts us. We must look upon our trials and sufferings as our portion of the cup He promised to those who believe in Him. We must remember that we have been baptized into His passion and death (see Romans 6:3).

In confidence, let us approach the altar today, the throne of grace, at which we drink the cup of His saving blood (see Mark 14:23-24).