| The Christian Life | October 1947 |
“My Cup Runneth Over”
—Psalm 23:5
MUCH is said in the Scriptures about the “cup,” and while it is used to symbolize various truths pertaining to the Christian life there is a close relationship between these truths, and to understand them clearly is to have our appreciation of divine love and our relatonship to the divine plan enhanced. When Jesus instituted the memorial of his death he gave the “cup” to his disciples and invited them to drink of it, explaining that it represented his blood. Previous to this he had said to two of his disciples, “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of?” (Matt. 20:22) It was evidently this latter cup which Jesus referred to when, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” (Matt. 26:39) In Psalm 116:13 we read of the “cup” of salvation, and in Psalm 16:5 David writes prophetically of Jesus, “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup.” The Apostle Paul contrasts the “cup” of the Lord with the “cup” of devils.—I Cor. 10:21
It would be confusing should we attempt to take the same meaning from all these various symbolic uses of the term cup, although they are related. The memorial cup of which Jesus invited his disciples to drink is explained by him to represent his blood, his life—a life poured out for the sins of the church and of the world. We, as the followers of Jesus, are invited to drink of this cup because it represents that through him, through the merit of his shed blood, we have life.
We partake of his cup also in the sense that we lay down our justified lives with him. We are planted together in the likeness of his death. Under the Jewish law to drink blood was punishable with death, hence when Jesus asked his disciples to drink of the cup which represented his blood it was the equivalent of asking them to die with him.
This particular symbolism of the cup applies alike to the entire church of Christ. First of all Jesus laid down his life, and all who are to live with him, and share in his kingdom reign, are to lay down their lives—“planted together in the likeness of his death.” (Rom. 6:5) It is an individual matter in the sense that each one who qualifies for a permanent position in the body of Christ must prove faithful, but the symbolism of the cup applies to all alike, and because they are members of the body of Christ. In this respect there are not many cups, but only one, and the entire Christ participates in that one cup.
“The Cup of Salvation”
The “cup” of salvation is closely related to the cup which symbolizes the blood of Christ. It might almost be considered an extension of that symbol, because it is by participating in the death of Jesus that the body members of The Christ attain to the “great salvation” which began to be spoken by Jesus, and has been confirmed to the entire church by those who heard him. (Heb. 2:3) It is this association of thoughts that is given by Jesus when he said to his disciples, “whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life … shall save it.” (Luke 9:24; Matt. 16:25) These words were addressed to the disciples at the time when Peter advised Jesus against going to Jerusalem where his life would be in danger. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to die as the Redeemer of the world, and that only by obedience to his covenant of sacrifice could he expect to obtain glory, honor, and immortality.
The same is true of all followers of the Master. David wrote, “What shall I render unto, the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” Answering his own question, David continues, “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:12-15) Like Jesus, his true followers have entered into a covenant with the heavenly Father which is based upon sacrifice—the sacrifice of their all, even unto death. (Psalm 50:5) Having entered this narrow way of sacrifice which leads to life through sacrificial death, they realize that now their only hope of life is in faithfulness to their vows of consecration.
So they accept this arrangement, this provision of the “great salvation” with joy. They know that actually to attain salvation in this way will first mean faithfulness unto death, so they call upon the name of the Lord for grace to help in time of need that they may have strength to be faithful. They know that the death of the saints is precious to God and that he will help them to be faithful unto death that thus they may attain salvation in the glory of the kingdom.
Here again, then, we find the “cup”—this cup of salvation—symbolic of that which is common to the entire Christ. There is no variation from this arrangement whereby Jesus and the church attain to immortality and the glory of the kingdom. There is no other way to attain unto the divine nature, no other way to attain to the heights of “Mount Zion.” Jesus, as the Lamb of God, reached his position of exaltation by way of sacrificial death, and those who share this reward with him are those only who “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.” (Rev. 14:4) There is no other provision of immortality, no other arrangement by which this “great salvation” may be attained, so gladly do we take this “cup of salvation.”
It would seem to be this cup to which Jesus referred when he asked his disciples, “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” The fact that Jesus asked about their drinking this cup with him indicates that it represents that which is common to all the body members of The Christ; and sacrificial death, leading to life beyond the veil, is common to them all. It is a cup of death and also a cup of salvation for those who, in sharing with Jesus in this phase of the divine plan, lose their lives, and by so doing shall save them.
“The Cup Which My Father Hath Poured”
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, just a few hours before he was crucified, he prayed to his Father, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” but then he added, “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matt. 26:39) Here the Master is using the symbol of the “cup” to represent certain experiences which he then realized were impending for him, and which in some respects were peculiar to him alone. The very fact that he considered the possibility of this particular “cup” being necessary, indicates that it was not the cup in which all members of The Christ alike participate; nor was it the cup which represented the shedding of his blood.
Jesus knew that it was the Father’s will for him to die as the Redeemer of the world. He knew that it was only through death that he could attain to immortality, the divine nature. There was no question in his mind about this, and he was determined to carry out this covenant of sacrifice, to drink this cup of death, knowing that in the drinking it would become a cup of salvation. He knew that there was no possibility that this cup was not the Father’s will for him. The Old Testament types had foreshadowed it; and the prophecies had revealed this definitely as being the Father’s will. But now he realized that other experiences were in store for him. In addition to dying, he could now see that there was to be shame and ignominy and suffering. He could now see that although he had done nothing wrong he was to die as a malefactor, an outcast, charged with blaspheming his God and with making false pretenses concerning his being a king.
It is not necessary to conclude that Jesus understood every detail of the Father’s will from the beginning of his ministry. When asked concerning the time of his second advent he freely admitted that he did not then know, that this was knowledge which as yet was being withheld from him by the Heavenly Father. (Matt. 24:36) As a test of his faith and obedience it seems reasonable to conclude that certain details of the divine will concerning the exact circumstances under which he was to die were kept from him until the due time came, and when, in Gethsemane, the knowledge of these details crowded in upon his already weary mind, he wondered.
It was then that he prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” Here was something in addition to what the Master up to this time had recognized as God’s will for him. There was no hesitancy in accepting this “cup” if it was the divine will—“The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11) Jesus wanted to be sure that this indeed was a cup which the Father had poured, and when in answer to his prayer he was assured that it was, there was no wavering, not the slightest hesitancy nor any semblance of holding back from doing all that had been written of him in the volume of the Book.
Here, then, is a clear indication that at times the “cup” is used in the Scriptures to represent individual experiences of the consecrated—experiences which might not be common to all, provisions of divine grace, whether of joys or trials, which are best suited to the individual needs of those for whom they are provided, but always, of course, in keeping with the divine plan as it applies to all the consecrated. It is in this sense, apparently, that David used the symbolism of the “cup” when he wrote, “My cup runneth over.”
Earlier in this beautiful Shepherd Psalm David reminds us of the Chief Shepherd’s provisions which are supplied alike for all of his sheep. All of them are made to lie down in green pastures; all of them are led beside the still waters, and all are protected as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death. In these references we are reminded of the abundance of God’s care for all his people through the truth, and the assurances of the exceeding great and precious promises of his Word.
But the provisions of the cup may vary according to individual needs. This thought is borne out in the psalm, particularly if we follow the shepherd and sheep symbolism throughout. Those who are acquainted with the customs of eastern shepherds tell us that they did use a “cup” in connection with their care of individual sheep. Ordinarily this was at the close of the day, in the final round-up of the sheep, and the inspecting of them for bruises, fatigue, etc. When, as frequently would be the case, the shepherd found a sheep that had become overwearied from the day’s experiences, and needed special attention, it would be given a refreshing drink from a “cup” which the shepherd used for this very purpose.
What a precious thought is thus illustrated! We know that it is only as we are “in Christ” that we have any right to expect divine favors. We know of the general and abundant provisions the Lord has made for all his sheep. In these provisions we do indeed rejoice. It would seem that there is nothing more that the Heavenly Father could do or say in order to assure us of his love. We know that as long as we continue to follow the Good Shepherd, hearkening to his voice at all times, there will never be any lack of green pastures, nor of still, refreshing waters.
But in the “cup” symbolism there is a touch of intimacy, of personal and individual care, suggesting a tenderness and warmth of love which is almost beyond our ability to grasp. Without in the slightest detracting from the reality of the Shepherd’s care as it manifests itself in a blanket spread of divine love over all his sheep, we are given this additional assurance that he knows all our individual needs and is providing for them also—not meagerly, not stintingly, but abundantly—“My cup runneth over.”
Of Joy and Sorrow
This cup which overflows for each individual sheep of the Lord’s pasture may be one of either joy or sorrow; or it may be an intermingling of both. He knoweth the way that we take, and he knows the needs of that way. Moreover, he watches over us in order to determine our needs, and is ever near to supply whatever our need may be. Through it all we have the assurance that “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly”—that is, those who are doing their best to follow his leadings.—Psalm 84:11
From the human standpoint, the most valuable experiences of life, and therefore the most sought after, are the joyful ones. The pursuit of happiness is usually the all-engrossing effort of the worldly. And this is quite proper; for after all God’s plan for the salvation of the human race has a similar objective. It is not God’s will that unhappiness and suffering shall forever continue in his universe. There is a time coming when there “shall be no more pain,” either of mind or body.—Rev. 21:4
But joy in itself is not necessarily and at all times the most valuable experience for a Christian. As sheep, we may reveal weaknesses along lines which only a particularly severe trial of a certain kind will correct. When this is true we may depend upon it that the “cup.” which the Good Shepherd will hold to our lips will not be particularly sweet—indeed, it may be bitter—but it will be what we need, hence will refresh and strengthen us along the particular lines for which it was poured.
And there are many such occasions of need. There is no time, for example, when we are more weak and in greater danger of stumbling and falling by the wayside than when we feel self-sufficient and are not depending as we should upon the provisions of the Good Shepherd. At such times we may think we are strong, but the wisdom of the Good Shepherd detects our self-sufficiency, and knowing that if we are permitted to continue on in our own strength we are sure to fall behind and lose our way, he pours a “cup” of bitterness, of disappointment, of humiliation, of sorrow, of whatever nature may be the best, and holds it to our lips that we may drink and thereby have our “weakness” removed. It is only as we tremble when thinking of self that we are truly strong in the Lord, and whatever experiences bring about this proper viewpoint are a refreshing “cup” indeed.
On the other hand, there are times when a cup of sorrow would discourage and crush us, times when our greatest need is to be encouraged by a cup of sweetness—some gladdening experience which assures us of the Good Shepherd’s smile of approval of the efforts we are making. And in such cases also we may be sure that our “cup” will run over with an abundant provision of just the experiences we need.
There are many ways in which our cup of joy runs over. We may be permitted to see some evidence that the Lord has blessed our efforts to bear witness to this truth; someone may be showing interest in the divine plan through our efforts to tell them the old, old story. What a joy such an experience is to those who truly love the Lord and his truth! We may learn that some brother or sister in Christ has been blessed by a word we have spoken, by an illustration, or by an example we have set. This, too, is a “cup” of joy, and when the Good Shepherd permits us to drink of such a cup, how our hearts rejoice!
Many are the ways in which our cup of joy runs over, this cup which the Lord pours individually for each of us according to our own peculiar and particular needs. The privilege of attending a prayer meeting, a class study, or a convention, is what we most need at times, and if the Good Shepherd sees that this be so, the cup is provided. What we may most need at another time is a lesson in patience, so the Lord permits us to wait upon him. Right in the same ecclesia of the saints, or among the isolated, the individual needs of each are sure to vary, but the Good Shepherd, as he watches over his sheep, discovers those needs, and provides the appropriate “cup” to suit each occasion.
Paul assured us of this fact when he wrote that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28) They are working together for our “good” because the Good Shepherd is pouring the cup for us and because he knows exactly what we need at any and every moment of our walk with him. What a blessed assurance! “My cup runneth over”—the Good Shepherd abundantly supplies our needs, our individual needs. Thus does he continue to refresh and strengthen us that we may be able to follow him through the dry and thirsty land of an unfriendly world, and through the valley of the shadow of death.
In II Corinthians 9:8 we read, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” This seems to be Paul’s way of saying that our “cup” runneth over. The Greek word translated “abound” in this passage means “over and above,” or in other words, running over. And this running over of God’s, grace is experienced “always,” and in “all things.” Could the Good Shepherd do more for us than this?
Our response to such abundant provisions of divine grace should be as suggested by the apostle; namely, that we in turn “abound to every good work.” How could any of the Lord’s sheep be indifferent to the Good Shepherd’s tender care and. fail to appreciate what is being done for them? May it not be so with any of us! The way is narrow and difficult, but the privilege of drinking the cup of death with Jesus, that we may partake of the cup of salvation together with all the faithful in the first resurrection, is a glorious one. And, happy thought, the strength needed to share this partnership of suffering, death, and glory, is assured. We can together feed in the green pastures of nourishing truth; and together partake of the refreshing waters of the Word. All the while the Good Shepherd is watching out for our individual needs, causing our cup of experiences—the very experiences we need—to run over. Thus we will have no lack of strength, nor of any other quality we may need in order to follow the Good Shepherd.