TITLE: Cup of Blood 10.24.12 By Doug Spurling 10/24/12 |
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
SEND ARTICLE TO A FRIEND |
His eyes told the story before he spoke. “I’m sorry. It’s bad. Your heart is sick.”
“What do you mean, Doc? Could I die?”
His words were slow. “Your heart is infected.” His voice cracked, “and yes, it could kill you.”
The room tilted, and oxygen spilled from the room. I swallowed a lump of dry air. “Infected? How?”
“It’s an inherited disease.” His eyes pooled wet and spilled. “You were born with it.”
“Inherited…but, but I feel good. I know my ancestry. There’s no mention of heart problems.”
He held a cup and slowly raised it toward me. “There’s no doubt. You’ve all been infected. But if you’ll—”
“I can’t believe this. I don’t. I won’t!”
He swallowed and inhaled deep,“Your heart is sick.” The corners of his mouth lifted a bit. “But, I have the cure.” He stretched out his hand holding the cup, his eyes urging 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, you’re starting to creep me out here. You’ve got to admit, this sounds a little weird. You don’t expect me to believe this, do you?”
“Yes, I do. Actually, unless you believe you cannot receive this cup.”
“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 antidote. 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, you can drink.” Something in his eyes told me it was true—even though it didn’t make sense.
“I might be crazy but— what’ve I got to lose? 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 his arms—blood dripping everywhere—and wheezed, “IT IS FINISHED.”
That was the last thing I remembered before I woke up on the couch. Must have been the half eaten pizza giving me some creepy nightmare. And then I noticed the wine glass. I must have bumped it—ugh, what a mess.
The wine had dripped through the wicker coffee table onto the dusty Bible on the bottom shelf. I wiped it off with my hand and opened the book. The wine had run blood red across two verses in Matthew chapter 26. My heart stuck in my throat.
"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." (Matthew 26:27, 28 NKJV).
“…O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42 NKJV).
I gently laid the Bible on the coffee table and for the first time in my life I understood my need for a savior. I knelt before the Great Physician and drank from the cup of salvation and received healing for my sin sick heart.
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. (Ps 116:13 NIV)
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.