What's in the Cup? Finding Comfort in the Scriptures

Excerpted from
Mending Your Heart in a Broken World: Finding Comfort in the Scriptures
By Patsy Clairmont

What enthralls us so about a palace? Is it the wealth, the power, the political sway? Perhaps the idyllic longing to be a prince or a princess and to live happily ever after? I know as a child I sported my share of construction-paper tiaras as I pranced and pirouetted about my kingdom in search of Prince Charming.

Then I grew out of my tiaras and into startling reality. I learned that palaces tend to be dark, drafty, and dank-and so are some of the inhabitants. In fact, we've heard an earful from the media, even of late, regarding royal families' scandalous behavior.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," we say.

Yet who of us would want our families scrutinized and then have the findings publicized? Holy mote, not me!

Even with my somewhat tainted view of palaces, I confess I'm still drawn to castle gates in hopes of a royal glimpse. In fact, come join me as we peek into a faraway palace and meet one prince of a fellow.

Cushy Job

Our story begins during Bible times in a Persian palace that, for many, was nothing more than a scandalous prison. Often captives were made to serve their enemies, and our hero, Nehemiah, had spent his life serving the Persians.

Still, in the eyes of many, Nehemiah had a cushy job in a plush establishment: He was a royal servant, a cupbearer, in the king's palace. You have to admit it wouldn't be all bad, even if it was a tad drafty, to traipse about palatial halls, to dress in finery, and to dine on the best food in the kingdom.

However, a major downfall did exist in his regal employment, and I do mean downfall. You see, if some radical decided he didn't like the king or wanted to take over the kingdom and managed to slip some poison into His Highness's toddy, it was bye-bye, Nehemiah. If the drink passed the taste test, Nehemiah would present the goblet to the king as an offering. That was the wine server's purpose-to taste the drink and to live or die with the bitter results. Hmm, I guess every job has its drawbacks.

(By the way, when I mentioned Nehemiah's job to my family, I could tell by the look in their eyes that they wished for a cupbearer to taste my kitchen concoctions prior to their ingestion, but alas, they didn't have anyone to go before them as a taster. Much to their amazement, and sometimes mine, they survived.)

Sometimes cupbearers were taken into the king's confidence, which was the case with Nehemiah. We know this because we read in chapter 2 of the Book of Nehemiah that he was not only in the king's presence but also the queen's-a rare honor afforded only the most trusted of staff. This wasn't a guy who just showed up at work and put in the required hours. His trustworthiness served him well as a servant and later would serve him well as a leader of his people.

By reading Nehemiah's account, we see that this esteemed servant was not only reliable, but he also was amiable. In fact, get this: He never showed up at work grouchy or even sad. Whoa, how many of us could say that? (Of course, kings weren't fond of downcast folks and tended to lop off their heads-now there's motivation to stay perky.)

Bad News

But one day Nehemiah received reports about Jerusalem, the city in which his family was captured ever so many years ago. And the news wasn't good. The walls still were down, the burned gates were unreplaced, and the people routed (Neh. 1:3). Jerusalem lay in disrepair, and the people who weren't taken captive by their enemies remained scattered and living in fear. That's when this upbeat bearer of wine and winsomeness hit bottom. Seems the news knocked the smile right off his face.

Nehemiah was more than temporarily stunned by the news; we are told he sat down, wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed.

After four months of beseeching God on behalf of Jerusalem, Nehemiah showed up for work with a dripping case of melancholy. The king detected Nehemiah's sadness and inquired as to its origin. Nehemiah quickly prayed to the Lord God before he answered, lest he offend the king and lose his chance to help his people-not to mention his head (gulp).

The king was open to Nehemiah's plight when he told His Majesty about Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, the king approved an extended leave of absence and provided Nehemiah with traveling papers, armed guards, and enough wood to make important repairs and improvements. Wow, what a boss!

Now, what in this fractured world of ours does all that have to do with us? Actually, plenty. For we are all called to be cupbearers-to drink deeply of life, and then to respond appropriately and even gratefully. That's not easy since life often is tainted with corruption and misery. If you're like me, you've noted folks who have endured extreme hardships with grace and you've wondered how they did it. I've tried to imagine myself in their sandals, only to be tripped up by questions: How did they survive that? How did they deal with this? How did they find a place within themselves to put that without it rupturing their faith or their spirit?

One inspiring avenue I've traipsed down is to learn from those cupbearers, people who had their life's cup filled with bitterness but who were willing to drink deeply from the cup and offer their lives as a sacrifice for others. People like Eleanor Roosevelt.