By His Cross and Resurrection May we Be Set Free

Matthew 20: 17-23

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him,”Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”They said to him, “We can.” He replied,”My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

Commentary:

In the above scripture passage the mother of the sons of Zebedee is asking Jesus for her sons to be given this incredible responsibility, and Jesus reminds them of what that responsibility will require, death of self. So often, we as addicts ask God ardently for sobriety, but fail to take serious the responsibility that requires. Often we fail in staying sober because we fail to count the costs of things we will have to give up to experience the kingdom. To drink the chalice Jesus talks about to us as his disciples requires suffering and dying to our self. May we remember that Jesus suffered the most humiliating death for our sins without cost for he was sinless. The costs of the humiliation or lack of comfort experienced by us for giving up the internet, tv, dating relationships, or whatever is causing us to sin is nothing in comparison to what Christ suffered for our sins. He suffered for us out of love, and taught us that the only way to enter his kingdom and be resurrected from our sin is through the cross. “By His cross and resurrection, may we be set free”.