Friday, September 17, 2010

Thankful to be a Plain - and cracked - Cup

I am a big Indiana Jones fan. My favorite movie of the series -- "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Indiana Jones is seeking the Holy Grail, the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper.

In one of the final scenes, Indiana Jones' father [played wonderfully by Sean Connery] is seriously wounded by the "bad guy" and thus about to die. But if Indiana, succeeds in finding the Holy Grail, fill it with holy water, and give it to his father to drink -- it would have the power to heal. [We know this because the last Knight of the last Crusade, tells them he has been kept alive for eons with the power of the Grail]. But there's a problem, the Holy Grail is hidden among several other cups, and the last Knight is not disclosing which one is the Grail.

One of the characters, Elsa [misguided of course] chooses a gilded cup encrusted in jewels. She fills it with water and gives it to the sinister Donovan [the one who shot Indiana's dad...so we are pretty sure what is coming]. Donovan drinks, only to rapidly decay and crumble into dust. Indiana, our hero, on the other hand, recognizing that the Grail would be that of a humble carpenter and not a wealthy king selects a plain wooden cup, fills it with the water and quickly takes it to his father to drink who is then healed.

I love the story, love the scene...and my favorite part of the scene: the plain cup.

I'm a nobody, a plain cup. To be honest in my humanity - that is very painful..."until I entered the sanctuary of God..." [Psalm 73:17] then I understood for God tells me in His Word that He deliberately chose "nobodies" [me] - He chose "what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world even things that are not to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'" [1 Corinthians 1:27-28]

So...when I begin to feel sorry for myself [confession time -- which is far too often], I will immediately enter the sanctuary of my God who will affirm just how very plain I am in order that I not boast before Him, but only in the Lord! To God be the Glory!






4 comments:

Brenda said...

Great post! :)

Melissa said...

Tears!! Love it! And you are not a no body. You are very important to the Lord. We are His chosen Instruments (Romans 6:13) I just love how God always uses you to minister to my heart. You need to blog more!!!!!

Erica said...

Love you. From one plain cup to another. :) God uses each of us despite ourselves, our cracked, broken, beaten up selves. His love is amazing. Overwhelming and perfect. Great post.

Rachel said...

I agree with Mel. I've been waiting for another post...love hearing your thoughts and processing.

I see much of His glory in you.

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