When Player was competing in a tournament, people constantly came up to him and made the same remark: "I'd give anything if I could hit a golf ball like you."

One particularly tough day, a tired and frustrated Player once again heard the tired refrain: "I'd give anything if I could hit a golf ball like you." Player's usual politeness failed him as he replied to the spectator, "No, you wouldn't. You'd give anything to hit a golf ball like me if it was easy. Do you know what you've got to do to hit a golf ball like me? You've got to get up at five o'clock in the morning, go out on the course, and hit one thousand golf balls. Your hand starts bleeding, and you walk up to the clubhouse, wash the blood off your hand, slap a bandage on it, and go out and hit another one thousand golf balls. That's what it takes to hit a golf ball like me." In his own way Player was asking, "Are you able to drink from the cup from which I drink?"

Greatness has its price. "Are you able to drink from the cup from which I drink?" Jesus asked his ambitious disciples. I am amazed how many people adopt the Christian faith as their own with the thought that it really won't cost them anything. Friends, the cup Jesus drank was the cup of the cross. The sacrifice he made was ultimate, complete, and final. If we think that we can achieve greatness in the Kingdom of God with a token commitment, we are sadly mistaken.

In Medieval Europe it was common for devout Christians to pray for the marks of Jesus to appear on their hands and feet. This was seen as a sign of deep spirituality. One night a monk, while praying for those marks, had a vision of Christ with another mark on his body--a bruise on his shoulder. That bruise came from carrying His cross. The monk suddenly realized that this was the mark that really counted. How many of us have bruises from carrying the weight of Christ's cross on our shoulders? It is acceptable, even admirable to aspire to greatness, but greatness has its price.