Mark 14:32-42...
32 They went to the olive grove called
Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” 33 He took
Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and
distressed. 34 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point
of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
35 He went on a little farther and fell
to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour
awaiting him might pass him by. 36 “Abba, Father,”
he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of
suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
37 Then he returned and found the
disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you
watch with me even one hour? 38 Keep watch and pray, so that you will
not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is
weak.”
39 Then Jesus left them again and
prayed the same prayer as before. 40 When he returned to them again, he
found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. And they
didn’t know what to say.
41 When he returned to them the third
time, he said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no—the time has
come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Up, let’s
be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
During difficult times in my life when I
lacked the faith to stand on my own, I have relied on the faith of my
friends. God uses friends to challenge us to remember His faithfulness
and encourage us to cry out to Him in our anguish and unbelief.
When I look back over the years I
cannot imagine where I would be without the handful of friends that
listen, surround and encourage me to press on. Community is important.
Jesus shows us this so clearly throughout the scriptures with his small
group of friends, the disciples.
When I think of Jesus that fateful
night in the Garden of Gethsemane…my heart breaks that in Jesus’
greatest need his closest friends couldn’t even stay awake. Jesus says
to them “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here
and keep watch with me.” After hearing those words…they fall asleep.
We read that passage and think we would have responded differently than
his band of brothers responded that evening. But so often we don’t. We
sense God nudging us to help, connect with or pray for someone but life
gets busy and we don’t follow through. Jesus consistently shows us in
scripture that he doesn’t just observe our pain and sorrow but he enters
in. May we be people who do the same.
Heavenly Father, You reign over all
creation as a great and glorious God. You deserve praise and honor from
all Your works. Today we sing our praises to You and honor Your word
with our attentive ears. Fill us with your Spirit that we might
practice from our hearts all the truths we learn from Your word
written. As we worship and serve You each day, we trust in your
steadfast love manifested in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ~Brad
Walters
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