Gethsemane - Matthew 26:36-46
Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Reflection:
Every time we read the scriptures we get new insights. I have read this text many times and yet what struck me today is how alone Jesus was as he went to the cross. First of all, we read that he took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, commonly known as James and John. These three were known as his inner circle. There are three occasions recorded in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) where Jesus took only these three apostles. They are: the raising of Jairus' daughter, the transfiguration, and this account today of Jesus praying in the garden.
And specifically what does he ask of them. He says, "Stay here and keep watch with me." Before this he had said that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. We see the humanity of Jesus and the vulnerability before his disciples to ask for their help by watching and praying. This is the hour of Jesus' greatest temptation and while he was alone in the desert in Matthew 4, he is accompanied by his closest and most faithful friends here in the Garden as he awaits the cross. Twice he comes back to check on them and both times they are sleeping. He acknowledges that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Jesus' own human nature is causing him quite a bit of struggle as he contemplates what lies before him in the cross. Finally he comes and says, "Arise let's go my betrayer is at hand."
The whole scene that Jesus faced the cross alone and in fact the darkest moment in his life would be when he cried, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" In that moment his Father was absent, his friends had gone having betrayed him, and he endured the moment for what? For you and me. On the cross forsaken, God showed the world his absolute and undying love for all of humanity. Later he would restore his disciples after the resurrection so they might be his apostles/messengers in charge of letting the whole world know what God did for them in Jesus.
Sometimes we may feel alone, forgotten, maybe even betrayed by our friends, or even think God has betrayed us. But Jesus makes a promise to us that never will he leave or forsake us. The forsaken One promised that He would be with us even though we go through the valley of the shadow of death. He watches and prays for us that we might be able to carry the cross we are given, and one day enjoy eternity with him forever. Amen.
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Reflection:
Every time we read the scriptures we get new insights. I have read this text many times and yet what struck me today is how alone Jesus was as he went to the cross. First of all, we read that he took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, commonly known as James and John. These three were known as his inner circle. There are three occasions recorded in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) where Jesus took only these three apostles. They are: the raising of Jairus' daughter, the transfiguration, and this account today of Jesus praying in the garden.
And specifically what does he ask of them. He says, "Stay here and keep watch with me." Before this he had said that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. We see the humanity of Jesus and the vulnerability before his disciples to ask for their help by watching and praying. This is the hour of Jesus' greatest temptation and while he was alone in the desert in Matthew 4, he is accompanied by his closest and most faithful friends here in the Garden as he awaits the cross. Twice he comes back to check on them and both times they are sleeping. He acknowledges that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Jesus' own human nature is causing him quite a bit of struggle as he contemplates what lies before him in the cross. Finally he comes and says, "Arise let's go my betrayer is at hand."
The whole scene that Jesus faced the cross alone and in fact the darkest moment in his life would be when he cried, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" In that moment his Father was absent, his friends had gone having betrayed him, and he endured the moment for what? For you and me. On the cross forsaken, God showed the world his absolute and undying love for all of humanity. Later he would restore his disciples after the resurrection so they might be his apostles/messengers in charge of letting the whole world know what God did for them in Jesus.
Sometimes we may feel alone, forgotten, maybe even betrayed by our friends, or even think God has betrayed us. But Jesus makes a promise to us that never will he leave or forsake us. The forsaken One promised that He would be with us even though we go through the valley of the shadow of death. He watches and prays for us that we might be able to carry the cross we are given, and one day enjoy eternity with him forever. Amen.
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