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Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me, nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When He rose up from prayers, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."
And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." And He touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."
- Luke 22:39-51
It is Holy Week in Luke's Gospel and Jesus is in Jerusalem. We've read about the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist, in which Jesus taught, "Do this in remembrance of Me." Jesus has taught them about what it is to be great in His kingdom, saying, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves." In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke directly to Simon Peter. And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail, and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death." Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me." And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing." Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end." So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough."
Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." My study bible tells us that "one of the fundamental purposes of prayer is to strengthen us against temptation in terms of inner sin and outward trials."
And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me, nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." My study bible says, "Jesus exemplifies what He taught in the Lord's Prayer -- 'Your will be done' (Luke 11:2)"
Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. A note says, "These details, reported only by Luke, indicate the human agony of Jesus and the divine help given to Him as He contemplates His Crucifixion."
When He rose up from prayers, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation." The Gospel teaches us its insight into psychology when it tells us that the disciples were sleeping from sorrow. (Many a depressed person can tell of what it is to sleep to escape sorrow.) But Jesus tells them something that makes their sleep an important analogy for us: to be truly spiritually awake is to be aware of our own needs for prayer. Rather than "sleeping from sorrow," in a time of trial prayer becomes the greatest weapon for strength and courage, and for help with insight and awareness about our choices.
And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" Here is the betrayal. My study bible cites Proverbs 27:6 -- "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." About Jesus' title, it says: "Son of Man is an expression that Jesus used for Himself which could mean (1) simply 'man' -- that is, 'me' -- or (2) the heavenly figure of Daniel 7:13, a title which both revealed and veiled Jesus' messianic identity."
When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." And He touched his ear and healed him. A note says that permit even this means to permit the arrest and let events take their course in fulfillment of God's will.
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." My study bible points out that Luke reports only the Jewish participants of the arresting party, whereas John reveals a contingent of Roman soldiers was involved as well. The important thing here to note again is Jesus' words. He doesn't permit the physical injury from the sword used by one of His disciples, but Jesus is armed with His word, and the truth it tells us. He makes His own accusation: "When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me." He taught before all the public, at the time of the Passover Week, and they did not dare take Him for fear of the people. In the darkness, to be taken to an illegal night trial, that is their hour, and the power of darkness.
Darkness here implies so many things. It is literally dark; all that is happening here happens this night just after the Last Supper. Jesus has been awaiting this moment with prayer and in great agony. Through all things He finds the Father's will. But the power of darkness is also the power of evil and it contains many characteristics here. First of all we must note that it is cowardly. Jesus points out that He taught in the daytime, every day in the temple, before everybody -- both to the public and officials of the temple, as well as His followers and disciples -- and they didn't even "stretch out their hands on Him" (as the Greek reads). They didn't dare, for fear of the people, Luke's Gospel has told us. But now, here, the betrayal comes -- and from one of His own. There is cowardice here all around, and dirty dealing, and they are on their way to the violation of their own law, in a night court. Darkness also implies of course the evil involved, that place where the light doesn't get in, and the "darkness" that "comprehended it not." In this sense is the profound truth of this hour of darkness that is their hour, because they are committed to doing something evil. On all levels this is a wrong action: by the convention of their own law, including lawful testimony and procedure. But the depth of faith and the revelation of Christ make it a deeper darkness, a more profound evil. Not only do the people consider Jesus a holy man at a time of great turmoil in Israel, but He's also a peaceful man. He hasn't done anything by law that allows them to do what they are about to do: not by the law of the Romans (and Pilate will say he finds nothing wrong with Him), nor by the laws of Israel. But darkness will take its toll. And there we come to the cross. What does it really mean to come to that cross? Jesus has taught the disciples about prayer in today's reading. When we're in times of great trial by something evil, some form of darkness, our best weapon is prayer. It's hard to make decisions for God without prayer. When temptation hits -- to do the easy thing, to go along with something not quite right, to sweep things under the rug that need to be told or stood up for -- that's the time when prayer is most needed, most necessary. We might find ourselves feeling utterly alone in that time, and it is prayer that is most necessary for our strength; in our reading today, Jesus is comforted by an angel, and so might we well be even if we don't know it. Prayer calls us into communion with that which offers strength for the Way, His way. Jesus' impossible task here, the choice for crucifixion, falls into this place of agony in His struggle so that we, too, might understand what that choice might mean in our own lives. For Jesus, it is stark. For the rest of us, it may feel just like that although pales in comparison to His choice. Remember those times of great trial, of agony, when you make a difficult decision. Prayer is the one thing He emphasizes, and the example of His desire to please the Father. You may find yourself in such situations. But His mission into the world is for just that, to be the light that shines in the darkness. When you feel great trouble, remember His words and His choice. Suffering has its role to play in the times when we stand for something God calls us to do. Find your strength with Him, in prayer. Jesus' words, "Permit even this," tell us something about acceptance of the things we can't change. Let us remember what real acceptance is, and the light that leads us to that place -- and through it.
