This morning I came across a passage in Matthew that I have read through many times throughout the years and I never fully understood it. This morning, when I was reading, it finally made sense.
You probably saw the title of this post and thought it was a little weird. Mostly likely because you've probably heard about Jesus praying in Gethsemane, not somebody sleeping in there.
I will try to tell this story to the best of my ability. During Jesus's last days on earth, he was doing a lot of foretelling of what was to come. The end of Matthew covers the signs of the end of the age, the abomination of desolation, the coming of the Son of Man, nobody knowing the day or hour, the final judgment, the plot to kill Jesus, Judas betraying Jesus, the passover, the Lord's supper, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, and Peter denying Jesus.
So yes, there are a lot of significant stories I just listed off. Right in between the Lord's supper and the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, Jesus goes to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. One of the coolest things about this is that while everything was going on, Jesus was able to step away and pray. Imagine having that intuition. When everything in your life seems to be falling apart and then being able to step away and pray. That isn't how most people think when times are rough. Imagine being Jesus and knowing you are about to be betrayed, arrested, and killed. Yet, he was able to go to the garden and pray.
What in the world actually happened in Gethsemane? Jesus decided to go there to pray, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." While Jesus was talking to peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be very sorrowful and troubled. I believe the reality of everything was starting to sink in as the day approached. So Jesus said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." Jesus must have really been in a very sorrowful spot if he felt the need to be watched over. Jesus then went on a little further and he fell on his face and prayer, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." So after this prayer, Jesus came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." So, I find it so interesting to me that Peter fell asleep while Jesus told him to watch over him while he prayed. Was he really that tired to give into temptation like that? I love when Jesus says, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." I love that because there is so much truth in that. The spirit is always willing. Our flesh is just so weak. Over and over again we run into that problem. No matter what, the spirit is always willing. We just have a certain weakness to us and it is our flesh. After this all went down, Jesus went away to pray again and his prayer was, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." And again, after the prayer he found them sleeping. Then Jesus went away for a third time, saying the same prayer again and then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."
To me it seems like Jesus is a little disappointed that the disciples gave into temptation when their time with Jesus was winding down. They new that the time was winding down and they were still weak. I think this story can be lesson for us all. For only God knows the day and the hour. He wants us to be ready when that time comes. So I encourage you to be ready. Be strong in your faith. Don't be the one who isn't ready when that day comes and don't be that one who is spiritually asleep.
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