“I’m sorry mister, but you’re gonna have to drink that here.”

A man was driving by a corner where a couple of boys had a small table, wooden bench, and a sign that read “Kool-Aid 25 cents” written in crayon. Remembering his own youthful ventures, the man smiled, pulled over, and purchased a glass to the delight of the boys. However, as he turned to leave and get in his car, one of the boys said, “I’m sorry mister, but you’re gonna have to drink that here.”

The man asked why, and the other boy responded, “Because we only have one cup and we need it for the next sale.”

In today’s epistle lesson, Paul wrote, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons” (1st Corinthians 10:21). As Christians, we too, must be mindful to only drink from “one cup” – the Cup of Life and not the cup of the world. For by drinking from two distinct cups, we delve back into serving two masters (Matthew 6:24), try and drink pure and brackish water from the same spring (James 3:11) or bless and curse from the same mouth (James 3:10). We can only be and act one way. Therefore, chose wisely the cup you wish to drink, for that cup will not only define you but confirm your relationship with Christ.

Fr. John