January 7, 2016
Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:36-46
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39Going 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.”
40Then 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.”
42He 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.”
43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45Then 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. 46Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Questions for Reflection:
The story of Jesus’ prayers in the garden may be familiar if you’ve been a Christian for a while. However, even in this familiar story, we get important insights into Scripture, the disciples, and Jesus. Who does Jesus take with him to pray? How does Matthew describe Jesus’ mindset in verse 37? How do you think Peter, James and John felt watching Jesus in this emotional place? What did the disciples do while Jesus was praying? How does Jesus respond when he comes back to them and discovers them asleep? As the next few days played out, how do you think John felt about falling asleep?
I love that the Bible does not sanitize the disciples and others within its stories. Even heroes of the early church like Peter, James and John are shown with their faults and weaknesses. How can this be encouraging to us? What can we learn from their struggles and how can that make us better followers of Jesus?
Let’s not move on from this passage without taking a moment to look at how Jesus prays in this passage. In verse 39, we see Jesus falling on his face before God and praying. He is completely honest with God (“take this cup from me”) but also completely trusting of Him (“your will be done”). The Renaissance poet Dante writes in his Divine Comedy, “In His will is our peace.” God does not always lead us into the easy things of life, yet He can use the most difficult moments for His glory. How is God calling you to trust Him more? How can trusting Him in the midst of that grow peace within you? Spend time today praying. Ask God to help you trust Him more. Ask Him to give you peace as you lean trust His will at work in your life.
For Further Study:
Want to know what Jesus prayed while in the Garden of Gethsemane that night? You can read John’s account of Jesus’ prayer in John 17.