The Cup

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Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tock-tick…the hands on the clock never moved. White, everything, the walls, ceiling and floor, the door, the padded table upon which I sat and the cabinet, all white. The chill from a cold sweat made me shiver. The clock and my heart were the only sounds. The thought occurred to me that I should pray, but I brushed it off thinking it wouldn’t do any good, anyway.


Click, the door opened.

His eyes told the story before he spoke. “It’s your heart.”

“What…Doc, am I going to die?” The words from my lips sounded like they came from a stranger.

His words were slow. “Your heart is infected.” His voice soft, “and yes, it could kill you.”

My world tilted, and all oxygen spilled from the room. I swallowed a lump of dry air. “Infected? How? ”

“It’s inherited.” His eyes pooled wet and spilled. “You were born with it.”

“Inherited…but, but I feel good. There must be some mistake. There’s no heart trouble in my family.”

He held a cup and slowly raised it toward me. “There’s no doubt. You’re infected. But if you’ll—”

I stood and held up my hands. “No. I can’t believe this. I don’t. I won’t!”

He swallowed and inhaled deep, “I’ve seen this before. Please believe me, your heart is ill.” The corners of his mouth lifted a bit. “But, the good news is, I have the cure.” He stretched out his hand holding the cup; his eyes urged me to take it.

“So, let me get this straight. I have an infected heart that will kill me, and you have the cure?” I looked at the cup, but didn’t take it. “And… I’m guessing the cure, is in there?”

He wiped a tear off his cheek with the back of his hand and smiled. “If you accept this, you’ll not die.”

“Doc, this sounds too easy, too weird. You don’t expect me to really believe it—do you?”

“Yes, I do. Actually, unless you believe you cannot receive.”

“That’s it. I’m outta here. I’m gonna get a second opinion. And if you’re right—I’ll just pick up a gallon of that miracle cure and give it to my whole family.”

He lowered his hand and sighed. “I am the only one that holds the cure. Anyone who wants to be saved from this disease must come to me and drink from this cup. There is no other way.”

“How can simply drinking from that cup cure a deadly disease?”

“Because I drank first from the cup that was given to me, now you can receive this cup and be set free from your disease.” Something in his eyes told me it was true—even though it didn’t make sense.

I remembered a time when I was a kid taking communion in Sunday school and I just knew I could trust him, even though I didn’t understand why.

“I might be crazy but—what’ve I got to lose, right? Gimme that. Oh, and Doc—I don’t know why, but— I believe you.” I took the cup and before I had a chance to change my mind, gulped it in one quick swig. “What’s in this stuff anyway?”

He whispered, “My blood.”

I thought I would gag, but just then my eyes started playing tricks on me. He started to sweat… a lot. I mean, it was bad sweat—it looked like he was sweating blood. His white garments started to soak through red right before my very eyes. “Uh, Doc—what’s going on? Am I dreaming? Is this a nightmare…or hell? Am I dead?”

“I died, so you could live.”He stretched out his arms—blood dripping everywhere—and wheezed, “IT IS FINISHED.”

I jerked awake in a cold sweat; the room no longer white, but dark. Must have been the half eaten pizza giving me some creepy nightmare, I thought. I rubbed my pounding head and noticed the wine bottle I’d just opened, was empty and laying on its side. Directly below the bottle a dim light shimmered. What little was left in the bottle had dripped through the wicker table and landed on a book; Mama’s Bible, before she died.

I could still hear Mama say, “Son, everyday over this Bible I have communion with my Jesus, and say a prayer for you.” I’d just laugh and walk away.

I wiped wine mingled dust off the cover, and opened the Book for the first time in years. Blood red wine had mixed with Mama’s tears and run across the pages that said:

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins …O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matthew 26:27, 28, 42 NKJV).

I knelt before the Great Physician and Mama’s prayers were answered.

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. (Ps 116:13 NIV)

 

~

I don’t know much about all this modern day techno-geeky stuff like—ipad, iphone, ipod, itunes, ibook, iCloud, iOS—but I do know how to use the best communication device known to man.

ipray4u

I’d love to pray for you—just leave me a message here or e-mail dougspurling@aol.com

Thanks for stopping by,

Doug