Are Ye Able?

“Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’” Mark 10:38 NKJV

Earl Marlatt was a brilliant scholar. Born on this day in 1892, in Columbus, Indiana, he graduated with honors from DePauw University, with continuing studies at Harvard, Oxford, and other schools. He went on to become a professor of philosophy, literature, and religion. He also was an important poet and wrote many moving hymns.

In 1926, he was asked to write a hymn for a dedication service. Marlatt wanted this hymn to address the challenges of seeking and serving God. He pictured Jesus speaking to each of us, asking “‘Are ye able . . . to be crucified with Me?’” Marlatt pictured Believers as “sturdy dreamers,” with unrealistic expectations. They answered, “To the death we follow Thee.”

He was reminding us of James and John, who asked Jesus for special positions in His Kingdom. Instead, He said they had to be willing to die to self.

In the same way, Marlatt asked if we are able “to relinquish purple dreams of power and fame, to go down into the Garden, or to die a death of shame?” Are we able to forgive those who have wronged us, even when we have been racked with pain?

In every situation, Marlatt urged us to realize that we become able when we submit our lives to God: “Lord, we are able. Our spirits are Thine. Remold them, make us, like Thee, divine.” We must depend on His guiding radiance, providing us with “a beacon to God, to love and loyalty.”

Today, don’t be just a “dreamer,” filled with unrealistic expectations. Remember that, in your flesh, you will fail. Instead, learn to trust God. Submit your life to Him. Allow Him to mold you into His image.

Prayer: Father, I want to be able to serve You and do the work You have called me to do. Remold and make me today. Fill me with Your Spirit. I surrender my life to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.