“Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” Matthew 20:22 NLT

James and John had no idea what the bitter cup of suffering was, but they answered confidently,

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

Such gallantry has to be admired in the hearts of young men. It is far better to think you are brave and strong than to walk away like a wimp and avoid suffering at all costs. And we must give these brothers their due. They were faithful to the end despite the fact that they had no insight into what the future held for them both.

As we read through the Book of Acts, James was martyred for his faith (Acts 12:2), while John lived a long life, exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God (Rev 1:9).

Now, how would you respond to this question? “Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

Oh, I can hear the modern-day answers.

“If I have to ...”

“What do you mean?”

“No, I don’t want that!”

We pull away from anything that could cause us pain, suffering or inconvenience.

So why were these men so gallant and brave?

It was because they had caught sight of the Christ. They had seen His power when He healed the sick and cast out demons. They had seen His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. They had heard His outstanding wisdom in preaching and teaching. They were caught like a fish on the end of a hook.

For the church to be like that today, we need to want to be caught, dangling at the end of His heavenly hook. We need to meditate on the words in the Bible, reflecting on His healing and delivering power, comprehending the glory, finding His compassion and forgiveness, and being overwhelmed with His strength and anointing.

Then, we will answer as confidently as James and John, knowing that no matter what happens, we will serve Him forever.