Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him

 

 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

- Matthew 26:47-56 

 

Yesterday we read that, following the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  It seems quite important to note that Jesus is still making an effort to save Judas, as He greets him as "friend."  St. Matthew's text refers to Judas as His betrayer, giving us again a sense of how deep this betrayal truly is from one who was His disciple for three years, living with Him and sharing all things in common with the others.

 

 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.  Jesus rebukes St. Peter here (we know it is St. Peter as he is identified in John 18:10) for using the sword, for St. Peter still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly, so that salvation for humankind might be fulfilled.  A legion is 6,000 soldiers, my study Bible reports, so twelve legions is equal to 72,000 angels.  That Christ's death was foretold in the Scriptures served to strengthen the disciples at this hour of their greatest test.  

With one word of clear direction, Jesus sets out with clarity our whole understanding of this terrible betrayal and seizure of the one innocent and sinless Man.  He asks those who show up in the middle of the night to seize Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me."  Then He adds the words of clear direction for all of us, so that we understand why this is happening and what it is all about, and so that we have the lens through which to view it.  He says, "But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  The disciples will take these words and remember.  They will remember His several warnings of this time before it happened.  They will remember that He goes voluntarily.  They will remember that all that happens in Christ's ministry occurs in fulfillment of the Scriptures.  They will understand that no matter how difficult things become, how devastating these actions are, and no matter what they will witness and experience, there is a plan unfolding, a sense in which God's salvation works even through the evils they will see.  And so Jesus gives clear direction, even as He is being seized and betrayed, in the midst of injustice, even as He protests that He was with those who seize Him daily in the temple openly teaching, and they did not seize Him then.  He lays out all of it. And with His words that these events happen in fulfillment of the Scriptures we are meant to understand several things.  First, that the Scriptures of the prophets do not "make" things happen, but are written because these events are foreseen in the Spirit, where time does not exist as we understand it.  Moreover, Jesus as Christ, the Messiah, comes in fulfillment of the Scriptures in terms of His whole mission as Incarnate Lord, again as foreseen (not made to happen) by God's prophets.  We can see this indicated not simply in Jesus' words here today, but throughout the Gospels and the Epistles, as various Scripture is quoted in support of that understanding.  Jesus is, in fact, the Incarnate Lord of the Old Testament, which He clearly indicates when He says to the religious leaders, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad," and, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:56, 58).  Jesus' repeated predictions to the disciples of what was to come in His Passion (with considerable detail), the prophecies fulfilled through Scripture, and His teachings and sayings throughout His ministry, all confirm that regardless of what they think or see, there is one Lord in charge, there is a salvation plan being fulfilled, there is a mission of Christ in this world working out as it must -- even using the evil that comes -- and moreover, all of this foreshadows and defines their own mission to come in the world, and is the foundation of the establishment of the Church.  At the Last Supper, Jesus taught the disciples, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered' " (see Saturday's reading; Jesus quotes from Zechariah 13:7).  All of this structures a way in which we are to see that not only is there an ultimate Authority, and a salvation plan that is in place, but moreover, even the evil that occurs will somehow be used by God in a way that benefits a universal salvation.  Thus St. Paul can write, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  None of these understandings take away from people's responsibility for their choices, as Jesus most starkly explains when He prophesies His betrayal by one of the disciples, "The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born" (see Friday's reading).  In a certain sense, moreover, this is affirmed when Jesus tells St. Peter, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword," for He's indicating that through manipulation and force we cannot necessarily control the outcome we desire; moreover we determine our own way of demise.  All of this should give us pause when we go through our own tragic betrayals, difficulties, even undergo evil things in this world that we know are wrong.  For Christ has indicated in His Passion that even the worst of things can be used by God for ultimate salvation, and so we should consider that God can create good even in our lives from the worst of wrongs and hardships.  Let us take heart in the true depth of our faith, and seek Christ's light even in the darkest of times we might face and know.

 

 

 

 

O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will

 

 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  

 

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

- Matthew 26:36–46 

 

Saturday's reading described events at the Last Supper, the Passover supper of Jesus and the disciples. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And so said all the disciples.

 

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  My study Bible says that when Jesus speaks of this cup He's referring to His impending death.  As a human being, He wishes He could avoid it, for it is the mark of humanity to abhor death.  Jesus prays if it is possible that this cup be taken from Him, and thereby gives us full proof of His human nature.  Nonetheless, my study Bible says, He is without sin and He completely subjects and unites His human will to the Father's divine will.  

 

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."  My study asks us to note Christ's words and their importance: "watch and pray."   It says that this is the key to Christian spirituality and our struggle against temptation.  By this, Christ's human soul is strengthened, and He faces death with divine courage.  In contrast to the Lord's vigilance, the disciples sleep.  My study Bible explains that, since body and soul are united, the spirit is paralyzed by a lethargic body.  But a willing spirit, which recognizes the weakness of the flesh, struggles against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power.  

 

 Jesus knows where He is going, He knows why He is going, in His divinity He will complete the mission of the Incarnation.  But nevertheless in the fullness of His humanity He asks that the cup pass from Him if it be possible.  For those of us who have struggled with our own temptations against the courage required in personal spiritual choices, Jesus gives us all hope.  For our Lord knows where we go, and how hard we struggle, even -- or maybe especially -- against things we know must happen, or we must find the courage to take on.  My study Bible says that "a willing spirit, which recognizes the weakness of the flesh, struggles against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power."  Personally, having struggled in difficult times, I have found this to be true on many levels and in various circumstances.  The times I didn't think I had the wherewithal to face a difficult choice, or to undertake a difficult task, I found that in prayer there was renewed energy to do so, even creativity to find better solutions than I had understood were available to me.  Many times when in Church during the Divine Liturgy, it is there that I have found the ease in my mind and heart that allowed me to pray for God's forgiveness of others who had hurt me very deeply.  Otherwise, this was indeed very difficult.  But Jesus gives us courage in showing us that even He struggled with what He had to do.  Our example is not one that is without struggle, of some sort of "perfection" in stoic virtue, but rather One who grapples with the deepest, strongest, most difficult temptations and pains of life. This is the Christ who is with us always, in all the things that we have to do.  We should try to understand that in prayer, and in seeking guidance that leads us through our lives, if we like Christ seek to follow the things He wants for us and the ways in which He wishes us to conduct our lives, then the power of such a prayer is already accompanied by Christ, by His grace.  These are the times to consider and to seek discernment about what path we're on, whether or not we're pleasing God or seeking to find God's will, even before our own.  For the One who has already struggled is there with us, has gone there before us, and would not assign us to something or somewhere He has not already gone before for us.  Such a thought should prepare us for life and emphasize that as adopted children, we are part of a heritage that guides our steps and gives us purpose, even as we seek His way through our world.  In life there will always be things that are difficult, but the One who leads us finds us meaning and value and substance, leading us to share in His virtues, even as He voluntarily shares in our struggles and difficulties and pain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night

 

 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

'I will strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep will be scattered.'

 "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise. 

 

Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to  be troubled and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping?  Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

- Mark 14:27–42 

 

Yesterday we read that, on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat of the Passover?"  And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.  Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us."  So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as he had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.  In the evening He came with the twelve.  Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me."  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  He answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had never been born."  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.  And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.  Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

 

Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise.  Jesus quotes from the prophet Zechariah (see Zechariah 13:7).  Jesus makes another prophecy of His own regarding His disciples, and especially St. Peter, that they all will be made to stumble "because of Me" this night.  For St. Peter in particular, Jesus also has very detailed words, that "even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."

 

 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  Gethsemane means "oil press," and it is the name for this orchard of olive trees which is at the foot of the Mount of Olives.  Jesus has intentionally come to a place known to his disciples, including his betrayer Judas.  See John 18:2.

 

 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to  be troubled and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping?  Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."  Abba, my study Bible explains, is the Aramaic familiar form for Father.  It's equivalent is "Papa," and it indicates Christ's intimacy with God the Father.  This cup refers to His impending death.  In accordance with Christ's divine nature, my study Bible says, He goes willingly to His death.  But as a human being, He wishes He could avoid it, as it is the mark of humanity to abhor death.  He prays that if it were possible, it would be taken away from Him.  My study Bible calls this abundant proof of His human nature.  At the same time, nevertheless, He is without sin and completely subjects and unites His human will to the Father's divine will.  

 

 In the context of today's reading, and yesterday's reading and commentary in which the focus was betrayal, perhaps it is a good idea to extend that commentary and consider, from today's reading, the effects of sin.  Sin doesn't happen in a vacuum.  It is not simply a one-time act which has no extended effects and is forgotten about.  Even when we repent of our sin, sin can still have continuing effects in our world and upon others, and within community.  A father who commits a crime, and goes to prison -- even doing his time and fully repenting of the crime -- still has effects upon his children and family because of the consequences of the sin.  The children grow up with a missing father, and they will have to reconcile themselves to the reasons he was gone from them.  There might be extended problems with money, with support for a family and a spouse.  We can imagine the possibilities.  In terms of the theology of the Orthodox Church, this is how the problem of "original sin" is viewed.  Subsequent generations are not guilty of the sin, but they are faced with the consequences of the sin, and must cope with the conditions created by the sin they're not responsible for.  This is how the "fallen world" is understood.  So, let us take a look once again at this sin of betrayal by Judas, and consider the long-term secondary effects of his act.  Of course we know of Christ's Crucifixion to come.  We know, as Jesus predicts in today's reading, that the disciples will be made to stumble this night.   This word for "made to stumble" is literally to scandalize in the Greek (from σκανδαλίζω/skandalizo), which is a word that derives from a hunter's trap; i.e. to "trip up."  They will all stumble because of Him, He says.  But even as Jesus goes to the garden of Gethsemane deliberately, knowing He will be betrayed by Judas this night, He is prepared for the effects of betrayal, and predicts to the disciples that they will "fall away" from Him (another possible meaning of skandalizo).  This falling away is a stumble or sin itself on the part of the disciples, but Christ understands the effects of what He is walking into, and as they return to Him they will be forgiven.  So Judas' betrayal has the effect of striking the Shepherd, and scattering the sheep, as it says in the quotation from Zechariah.  The effects of betrayal are a falling away of trust, as the disciples with few exceptions will go into hiding, and even St. Peter will turn away through his own denial of Christ, as prophesied also by Jesus in today's reading.  Simply from its immediate effects, we can see that one sin leads to others in its effects and the hardship and broken relationships and communion it brings to others.  We know the crowds will be induced to shout for Jesus' death, another sin made possible because of Judas' betrayal, and a rather notorious murderer will therefore be freed in Christ's place, despite Pilate's efforts at His trial (Mark 15:11-13).  Judas himself, of course, will in turn be betrayed in a sense by those whom he has served.  He will commit suicide as a result of his act, unable to find repentance and forgiveness in his remorse without Christ (Matthew 27:3-5).  These are simply the immediate effects of Judas' sin of betrayal.  Of course, the long-term effects are far-reaching and even continue with us until this day.   The most significant  thing to remark upon is perhaps that God takes all things and turns them to God's purposes, in that the spectacular failure of the Crucifixion is in His Resurrection and victory over death for all of us.   As St. Paul writes, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  But we cannot say that this extraordinary outcome of salvation for all the world is the effect of Judas' sin, but rather it is the effect of the work of God that turns all things to God's purposes.  When we think about committing any kind of sin, taking a short cut, thinking that somehow our plans might work better than seeking God's way, or that we can manipulate our way into a better world or outcome, we should consider the effects of sin we cannot control nor predict.  Outcomes are seldom under any person's full control.  For this reason, we seek God's will in all things, we try to grow in discipleship and discernment and prayer, we put all things in the hands of God -- and we know that forgiveness comes with repentance, and a return to our Lord is the way to salvation even midst those negative effects.  Jesus advises the disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  This is the way through extreme difficulties.  Let us face all things with Him.  St. Paul will come to write, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).  Let us follow in our own struggle for faith.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation

 

 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, 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 prayer, 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 22:39–53 

 

On Saturday we read that 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, 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 prayer, 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."  My study Bible comments that Christ's agony was the product of His human nature.  In asking that the cup be taken away, Christ reveals His human will.  By submitting His human will to that of God the Father, my study Bible explains, He reveals His divine will is one with the Father's.  Moreover, it teaches us that this is the goal of each person in our own crossroads and choices (Luke 11:2).  Christ willingly takes in Himself the voice of weak humanity, and thereby conquers weakness.  My study Bible quotes from Pope St. Gregory the Great:  "The words of weakness are sometimes adopted by the strong in order that the hearts of the weak may be strengthened."

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.  My study Bible tells us that this healing is recorded only by St. Luke the physician.  It's an indication of the way in which we're to treat our enemies.  In patristic commentary, it's understood to have a spiritual meaning, in that it is Christ who gives all of us the capacity to hear the truth, and thereby come to salvation (see Luke 8:8, 14:35). 

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."  Regarding darkness, see John 3:19-21, 13:30.

Hidden in today's text, there are hints of meaning in the loss of human capacity for perceiving the things of God.  First, there is the healing of the ear of the servant of the high priest.  As my study Bible notes, in patristic sources this is given a spiritual significance, in that it is Christ who enables our true spiritual hearing, our capacity to hear the truth as given by God.  It is not coincidence that, opening today's reading, we receive the passage that teaches us about Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane, in which He prayed His very human desire that this cup be passed from Him.  That is, the cup of the Crucifixion to come, as He knows He will be betrayed and arrested this night by those who will hand Him to the Gentiles to be killed.  Let's observe this great conflict between Christ's naturally human will to avoid death, and His desire to follow the divine will of God the Father.  He has prophesied several times what will happen to Him, and so He knows that "the Son of Man goes as it has been determined" (Luke 22:22), but we can see clearly His human response to what is before Him.  With this, Jesus puts everything before God the Father, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  Perhaps this is a good model for all of us, for the times when we are tried with a sorely difficult choice, and we, too, have struggles that are difficult in seeing our way through them.  Christ's impulse is to "hear" God the Father, but He also knows that He is heard, and puts everything before God in so doing.  This is a powerful scene about truth as it is heard and known, for He speaks the truth of His human desire, and hears the truth of the Father's will and lives it.  Then something significant for all of us happens:  an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  Again, it is an assurance of a process that happens also for us, for the angels are present to us to help to strengthen our own capacities for hearing, knowing, doing, for faith.  Jesus' response is to do what is most helpful at such a time:  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  His physical human response described here teaches us about the depth of His agony and the fervor of His prayer.  Next we're given the response of the disciples to their great sorrow:  they sleep.  Sleep is a time when we neither hear nor see what is happening around us, symbolic of cutting ourselves off from spiritual sight and hearing of the truth.  Jesus tells them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation," giving us to understand prayer as the way to rekindle our capacity for hearing and seeing, being awake and alert to the things God has in mind for us, wants us to apprehend.  Finally, Jesus puts His finger on the inability to see and hear spiritually, perhaps our unwillingness to do so, either in the face of challenges such as facing terrible difficulties, or deep sorrow, or other temptations.  He also describes the betrayal of Judas and the hypocrisy of these religious leaders who now arrest Him and plot to have Him killed.  All of this He sums up in His description of their hour:  the power of darkness.  Darkness, of course, obscures the light, and in particular, our sight.  So spiritual seeing and hearing -- and the lack of them both -- becomes a powerful component hidden in the scenes of today's reading, and something we have to consider at all times.  For Christ's time of agony is not an isolated event, but one that might come to each one of us, especially as we struggle with our faith.  The world can present us with alternatives we'd rather not face, hostility from those whom we love, even betrayal.  It can impose a kind of response of sorrow from friends who seem to abandon us and sleep when we need them.  Fortunately, Jesus gives us the true sword with which to meet such times of evil and the power of darkness, and that is the power of prayer and its fullness.  We see His fervent and deep prayers, letting God know all, and accepting God's word to Him in His great struggle.  He tells the disciples, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  Sleeping is something we try to do in darkness, and it is the power of darkness at work in the arrest of Jesus by those who have shut out spiritual light and sound so as to follow their own desires only, under cover of night, even violating their own laws in the night trial of Jesus that will follow.  When life seems dark, take up the sword of Christ's truth, and the power of the prayers He so deeply prays.  Don't sleep, but follow His teaching to rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation. 

 

 

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation

 

 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

- Matthew 26:36-46 

 

On Saturday, we read about Christ's institution of the Eucharist at His final Passover Supper:   And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.  Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And so said all the disciples.

 

  Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." My study Bible explains that when Christ speaks of this cup He's referring to His impending death.  It notes that according to His divine nature, He willingly goes to His death.  But as a human being, He wishes He could avoid it -- it is the mark of humanity to abhor death.  Christ prays if it is possible that it be taken from Him, and gives thereby abundant proof of His human nature.  But Jesus is also without sin, and completely subjects and unites His human will to the Father's divine will.  

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."  Jesus teaches the disciples (and us) to watch and pray.  My study Bible comments this command the key to Christian spirituality and our struggle against temptation.  By this, it says, Christ's human soul is strengthened, and He faces death with divine courage.  By contrast to Jesus' vigilance, the disciples sleep.  As body and soul are united, my study Bible says, the spirit is paralyzed by a lethargic body.  A willing spirit, which recognizes the weakness of the flesh, struggles against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power.  

My study Bible offers this final thought on today's reading, that a willing spirit, recognizing the weakness of the flesh, struggles against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power.  This statement is powerfully true, and in Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane, we also are taught how to approach our own hours of agony and sorrow.  Sometimes it is a struggle just to think what to do next in a difficult situation, particularly if we struggle at times of seeming abandonment.  In their sleeping, the disciples figuratively abandon Christ, and we hear His cries of protest, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?"    To struggle against the weakness of the flesh can mean all kinds of things, and in particular, as we relate to the struggle of the humanity of Jesus, that can mean that we struggle against despair, against hopelessness, or even that we give in to the world's certain pronouncement that we're on the wrong course when we follow where our faith leads us.  Jesus' words to the disciples are "watch and pray" against such temptations.  If we think about it we may all have been there at one time or another, and Christ's struggle in the garden becomes our struggle also.  Because the divine Jesus has experienced even this part of our human lives, His life touches us and leads us in so many of our own difficulties.  He has plumbed the depths of such experiences.  When I struggled against hopelessness, not knowing what to do when a parent was under severe duress in the hospital, and left on my own by siblings to make such dire choices, my refuge became prayer.  Any inspiring prayer I could find became a help, memorably and remarkably restoring my energy to face another round of difficult choices.  Christ was right, as should not have surprised me, but prayer did indeed become an inspiration, a kind of miraculous medicine restoring my spirits, so that I could carry on with courage I didn't have a little while before.  What is important is that we take these struggles seriously, understanding or own vulnerabilities.  We "watch and pray" because the world will not always give us good news nor help us in our challenges.  We may also find ourselves sorrowful and deeply distressed.  But just as Christ knows what is coming, and that His struggle -- and even death -- will initiate a New Covenant for all (see yesterday's reading, above), God's ways are not our ways nor God's thoughts our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8).  And so, even in the extreme circumstances of Christ's approaching Passion, He prays and teaches the disciples what they must do in the face of the dire things they will soon face.  If this is Christ's teaching for this most difficult of circumstances, then it must be our lesson too, for life offers us challenges that worldly experience alone does not suffice to help.  We need encouragement and strength in the face of bad news; we need God's way for us through difficult times.  Let us remember that the temptation to despair, to give up, may so easily present itself to us.  We watch and pray because it is what we need through all things.  We don't give up or give in to such temptations of the flesh.  We need the strong medicine of our prayers, and the watchful spirit that knows what is necessary.

 

 

 

 

Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?

 

 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  

And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled. 

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

 

- Mark 14:43–52 

 

Yesterday we read that, after instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper, Jesus said to the disciples, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise. Then they came to a place which was named Gathsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

  And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  My study Bible notes the phrase for Judas, described as "one of the twelve."  Once again, as in Mark 14:20, the text emphasizes the level of betrayal here.  That Judas was one of the twelve makes him one of Christ's closest friends.  Let us note that this betrayal is to all of the others of the twelve as well.  My study Bible comments that the fact that a kiss is needed to signal the mob is a statement about those who were in that mob.  The Jewish leaders and even the most common people would have recognized Jesus.  This shows that the soldiers were mercenaries, dispatched by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  According to John's Gospel, this group included Romans (John 18:3).  In the Orthodox Church, there is a prayer at each liturgy for the strength not to kiss Jesus in betrayal as did Judas.

And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.   The one who stood by and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest is identified as Peter in John 18:10.  Jesus rebukes him for using the sword, as Peter still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly, a fulfillment of the Scriptures which prophesy Christ's salvation for humankind.  That Christ's death was foretold in the Scriptures, my study Bible tells us, served to strengthen the disciples at their hour of greatest test. 

 

 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.  My study Bible says that to flee naked is a great shame and humiliation (Ezekiel 16:39; Amos 2:16).  It notes also that some teach this young man was James, the brother of the Lord (Galatians 1:19), while others claim it was the apostle John, who was the youngest of the twelve.  Most others believe that this was Mark, the author of the Gospel, as it was a common literary device for a writer not to give his own name (as is the case in Luke 24:13; John 21:24).   My study Bible points out that the other evangelists do not report this incident.  It says that they would not have been inclined to humiliate Mark, whereas Mark would have been more likely to relate such an event which concerned himself.  

In yesterday's reading, Jesus quoted from the prophesy of Zechariah:  "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" (from Zechariah 13:7).  In today's reading, the Shepherd, Jesus, is struck through betrayal and arrest on behalf of the authorities, committed by outsiders -- those who cannot even recognize Him.  Today's reading asks us to put ourselves in the places of the disciples, the other members of the twelve now betrayed by Judas who gives Christ a kiss to do so.   Imagine their disarray, and panic, and unpreparedness for this moment.  But even until He is taken away from them, Christ guides them to the last moment, teaching Peter, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52).  They've been with Him all this time, and so He has taught them His way.  But no one is really prepared for this particular time, and this very particular depth of betrayal.  Like the naked young man who does his best to follow the Master as he can, but who must run naked after they try to seize him too.  Christ follows the teachings of the Old Testament, for He is the same Lord who taught Israel not to put their faith in weapons and the power of sheer material might.  In both the Letters to the Romans and the Hebrews, St. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy, in which the Lord proclaims, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay" (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30; Deuteronomy 32:35).  We might think of their disciples and their fledgling movement.  How could they know what would happen?  How would they know what to do?  There is a report in the Acts of the Apostles of the time in which the Church continued to grow, and the high priest and the Council grew more indignant, having Peter and others thrown into prison.  But the prison doors were opened, and again the apostles were preaching, so that members of the Council plotted to kill them.  But the teacher Gamaliel (spoken of by St. Paul in Acts 22:3) advised the Council:  "Now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God" (see Acts 5:12-42).  Today we must consider, as the disciples had to at that time, in what do we place our faith today.  The world is filled with weapons capable of enormous destruction many times over, with technologies that may exert enormous control, and wield all kinds of influence and power in ways we might not even understand or be conscious of over our own lives.  We grow increasingly dependent on material power, technology, and our social interdependence based upon these structures, including that of telecommunications and even the waging of wars.  But we need to consider, despite this enormous-seeming material power and capacity to manipulate, where we place our faith first.  That power of the sword to which St. Peter turned in order to defend Jesus from betrayal and arrest is with us today, in so many ways no one at that time could have considered.  And yet, we are still to turn to these words as our words of faith:  "Vengeance is Mine," says the Lord.  "I will repay."  If we put our faith in the sword then we will die by that sword.  Our faith must continue to be in something else, something beyond, as the wise words of Gamaliel once taught.  In this particular struggle we each have our own battle to wage, but with what weapons?  St. Paul urges us to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."  For all the weapons of this struggle, see Ephesians 6:10-18.  For if we do not remember these things first, before all else, how will we know where we are going?  How will we be assured of what it is we are to be about?  How can we be aware of what Christ asks us to do at this time?  We cannot worship God and mammon, we will put our faith in and serve one, or the other (Luke 16:13).  We must know which we serve first, and that must lead the way for all else.  As He teaches us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  For the disciples from this moment, they will be scattered as the prophecy teaches, and eventually in hiding.  But shortly after Christ's death will come a revelation to the women at the tomb, the hope of the hopeless, the good news of the Resurrection.  Let us remember the power of the Lord and seek first God's kingdom, for our struggle is not confined simply to the things we see in the world, but involves so much more.

 

 

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak

 

 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

    'I will strike the Shepherd,

    And the sheep will be scattered.'

"But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise.

Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  

 

He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping?   Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

- Mark 14:27–42 

 

 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?"  And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.  Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us."  So His disciples went out, and they came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.  In the evening He came with the twelve.  Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me."  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  He answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had never been born."  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.  And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.  Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

 

 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'   But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise.  Jesus quotes from the prophecy of Zechariah (Zechariah 13:7).  He Himself is the Shepherd of the prophecy, the prophesied Messiah.  Peter contradicts Jesus' own prediction, following the Scripture, that "all of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night."  We will later see Peter's reckoning in regard to his own certainty, as Jesus' subsequent prophecy regarding Peter is fulfilled:  "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." 

Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  My study Bible explains that Gethsemane means "oil press."  Jesus and the disciples are now in an orchard of olive trees at the foot of the Mount of Olives.  A note on this garden, mentioned in John 18:2, comments that as Christ intentionally came to the place known to His betrayer, Judas, one of His disciples, shows that He was going to His Passion willingly and voluntarily.  It reveals, my study Bible says, that Christ went to find Judas rather than Judas finding Christ.  Let us note that Jesus, in His exceedingly sorrowful state, even to death, tells the disciples, "Stay here and watch."  Watch is the repeated word we've heard Him give as He warned of the distress and tribulation to come in the end times.  This vigilance is the repeated word of Christ for our conduct as we await His return.

He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping?   Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."  My study Bible comments that Abba in Aramaic is the familiar form for Father, similar to saying "Papa," which teaches us of Christ's intimacy God the Father.  This cup refers to Christ's impending death.  According to His divine nature, my study Bible says, Jesus willingly goes to His death.  But as a man, He wishes He could avoid it, for it is the mark of humanity to abhor death.  He prays that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him, giving us abundant proof of His divine nature.  But despite this struggle of agony, Jesus is without sin.  He completely subjects and unites His human will to the Father's divine will.

Yet again, we find Christ repeating these words, to watch and pray.  And again, we note the importance of these repeated words, an admonition which He sprinkled throughout His warnings of the end times to come, the tribulation which His followers would face in one form or another through the times in which we now live as we await His return.  Here, He tells Peter, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  It seems likely that we can consider Peter to be a stand-in for all the disciples, representing them, and even representing those of us who would be His disciples, the faithful to come.  These words are for all of us, even all the time, as we go through our lives and our own difficulties, our own struggles with faith -- and especially with times of tribulation, worry, shock, or fear.  In His prophecies of end times, Jesus repeatedly warned of troubles to come, such as natural disasters, wars, persecutions -- even of being hated by all for His name's sake.  What this means is that even in those times when we are tempted to panic, to flee, to fight, to take up weapons, to do whatever we can to evade what is coming in life, and even when sitting down to pray is the last thing on our minds -- it even may take great strength and forced concentration to do so, even against our own wills, we are to "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  These words are especially important to St. Peter, for he is our example of our own trusting to ourselves when we need to rely upon the strength of God to help us under difficult circumstances, especially when we struggle with threatening and frightening events in our lives.   Sometimes it takes intense focus and concentration, and a great act of will to pray, particularly when we feel overwhelmed and in desperate need to change the things that loom too large to avoid.   The events to come would shake the disciples to the core, and may be so great in their impact that we cannot possibly imagine the turmoil they went through.  But these are the words of Christ for them, and in our own times of agony we should remember them as well.  For, no matter what there is to do, it is in our prayer we call upon the help we need when our own resources cannot meet the struggle.  What often seems like only a "worldly" problem is compounded in its spiritual impact, and we need God's help to see where we are, even to accept something we can't bear to face.  This is how we find our way through the times that hurt, through unbearable bad news, through betrayals and tribulations, or losses we don't know how to bear.  Let us remember His words in all times.  

 

 

 

 

 

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground

 

 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 prayer, 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 22:39-53 

 

On Saturday, Jesus was speaking to the disciples at the Last Supper, after they ate the Passover.   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."  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 prayer, 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."    My study Bible says that Christ's agony was the product of His human nature.  In asking that the cup be taken away, He reveals His human will.  By submitting His human will to the Father, Christ reveals His divine will to be one with the Father's.  Moreover, this shows that each person must submit one's own will to God's will (Luke 11:2).  My study Bible adds that Christ willingly takes in Himself the voice of weak humanity, and thereby conquers weakness.  It quotes St. Gregory the Great:  "The words of weakness are sometimes adopted by the strong in order that the hearts of the weak may be strengthened."

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."  The healing of the ear of the servant of the high priest is recorded only by St. Luke the physician, my study Bible notes.  It says that this indicates the manner in which we are to treat our enemies.  The patristic commentaries indicate a spiritual meaning here in that it is Christ who gives people the ability to hear the truth, and thereby come to salvation (see Luke 8:8; 14:35).  Regarding the power of darkness, see John 3:19-21; 13:30.

 

Verse 44 describes Jesus' tremendous pain, His agony:  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  In a recent video made while visiting the garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, Jonathan Pageau views these elements as reminders of Christ's Crucifixion, that His blood will be spilled as is described here.  According to John's Gospel, when a sword pierces His side, blood and water will come out  (John 19:34).  But of course, Christ's very human side is responding to what He knows is coming.  It is interesting that before that, Christ prays that God's will be done:  "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  We are allowed to witness the wrestling going on within Himself, between His human and divine wills.  And then we're told, after this prayer, that then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. So as Luke invites us in to witness this extremely personal moment, we are experiencing what Christ experienced, and as He experienced it.  Note the tussle and the tug of war.  Before the prayer, Jesus told His disciples, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  So Christ's experience in the garden, begins with His warning to the disciples, an admonition that they must pray that they may not enter into temptation.  Then He Himself withdraws in order to pray, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."    Then, after He has made this plea, this commitment that despite His human desire that the cup be taken away, He commits voluntarily to God's will -- and then an angel appears in order to strengthen Him.    At that point, this struggle then draws Him into agony, and He prays even more fervently.  All of this is a model for us, so that we understand what prayer is and what spiritual battle is.  For this is an agony of battle for Jesus, and it is an agony of the deepest part of temptation.  He is struggling against every human instinct we have for self-preservation, and no doubt against fears of what will become of His disciples and the legacy of His ministry.  One might simply imagine all of the million and one doubts that would assail any normal human being.  But Christ models for us what our own struggles are going to be about.  Step by step, we're given to understand that we need to pray in order to battle temptation, that we need to withdraw so that we focus and concentrate on prayer when we can, giving it our all.  Note also that He asks the disciples, His friends, to pray as well.  But this struggle is visceral, real, it is not easy nor simple.  And it is indeed a struggle.  Even after Jesus has made the decision, prayed "not My will, but Yours, be done," even after an angel has responded to strengthen Him, then His agony comes.  But, as He has said, the ruler of this world has nothing in Him (John 16:33).  Let us note that we also may experience the same strengthening from spiritual forces that aid us in response to our choices, even when we are in the middle of a struggle -- and that we may still experience further pain and temptation to turn back from our choice to find God's will despite our choice to face the hardships that may come in so doing.  This is the struggle.  This agony in the garden is the description of a deep spiritual struggle, and the formula and model we're given for prayer and spiritual assistance.  We may not all be the One who is destined to lead this mission of Christ, who liberates all through the means of the Cross, but nonetheless on some levels we may also experience the same struggles, and so we should take the same cautions, guidance, and knowledge with us that we're given here in this glimpse of Him that is so personal.  We pray so as not to enter into temptation.  In prayer we make the choice and commitment for what God is asking of us, and while we are strengthened, we may yet fully feel the visceral and very human experience of that struggle, an agony that is as real as anything else with which we might struggle in life.  Let us go forward in understanding that Christ was not spared the struggle, and neither are we when we choose to commit to our faith.  Jesus teaches us what it is to face and experience this hour, and the power of darkness.  But nonetheless, despite the struggle, we will come to enter into His peace and His joy in so doing -- for there is where we reap the harvest of faith.  In this case, it is the eternal sign of Christ that saves and liberates and sets us free from from the slavery of the one who would bring us pain in all its forms.  He has overcome the world -- for us.

 

  

How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?

 

 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

- Matthew 26:47-56 

 

Yesterday we read that, after the Last Supper, Jesus came with disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and said to them, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

  And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  Let us take note that Christ is still trying by any means to save Judas.  He has given him a warning at the Last Supper, even as it was made clear that Judas was intending to betray Him (see He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me).  Here again, at this scene of open betrayal, Jesus asks, calling Judas Friend, "Why have you come?"  It is yet another prompting for Judas to think about what he is doing, to repent, a last chance even as he betrays Christ.

Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.  Here Jesus gives another rebuke to Peter (identified as the one who stretched out his hand and drew his sword in John 18:10).  My study Bible says that Jesus rebukes Peter for using the sword because Peter still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly, that salvation of humankind might be fulfilled.  My study Bible explains that a legion is 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions equal 72,000 angels.  That Christ's death was foretold in the Scriptures served to strengthen the disciples at their hour of greatest test. 

Jesus repeatedly emphasizes the fulfillment of the Scriptures.  My study Bible explains, quite importantly, that the prophecy of this death being foretold in the Scriptures served to strengthen the disciples at this hour of their greatest test.  This emphasis illuminates for us the essential function of prophecy.  It is not simply to foretell, or to give people a sort of expectation, although these functions remain a part of prophecy.  But Jesus, for example, prophesies about the destruction of the temple, together with end times to a lengthy extent in Matthew's Gospel (see chapters 24 and 25).  We need to ask ourselves why this is so.  It is not simply for those who immediately hear, although of course it was important and essential to the first apostles, the followers of Christ, and to the Church they would go on to establish.  But as was observed throughout our commentary on those chapters, and in the notes quoted from my study Bible, prophesy is not given so that we make timetables of events to come.  Neither do those prophesied events occur simply to fulfill prophecy, as some conclude from Christ's words here.  The prophecy exists so that when we see such events unfolding, we might comprehend them with the perspective of the Scripture.  Jesus gives the parable of the fig tree (Matthew 24:32-35) with just this admonition:  "So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!"  His constant injunction is to watch and pray:  prophesy is given to us so that we are aware of what is happening and not asleep to the reality and meaning of events we observe.  Here Jesus speaks of the fulfillment of the Scriptures in the secrecy and stealth with which He is taken, not in the light but in darkness, and that He is treated as a thief ("numbered with the transgressors" reads Isaiah 53:12), so that the disciples may understand with certainty what is truly happening here -- and that we who follow understand as well.  Events do not happen in order to fulfill prophecy, but we are given prophecy in order to understand those events when they do happen.  It is the event itself of the Crucifixion, in all its meanings and effects which reach even beyond our understanding, that is at the center and cause of the prophecy, and not the other way around.  The prophecy of what is happening, of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah (among other Scripture) allows us to understand these events in a true perspective given by God, so that we know what we serve and Whom it is we worship, so that we understand the meaning of these events.  And the prophesy serves the foundation of faith of these disciples, even through the events they experience are so devastating and so terrifying.  As my study Bible puts it, at this hour of their greatest test.  And this, once again, is our own reality as well, with the Scriptures giving insight even to our own suffering in His name, our understanding of what it means to call ourselves "Christian" and to be His followers.  For He gives us a light through the darkness, even the worst sorts of darkness we can imagine in our lives.  He challenges us -- even through these events -- to maintain our faith, that there is a way through the darkness, and even that God is capable of using the greatest evil, through our faith, to create good, even to bring salvation to the world.  Let us have faith and know what it means to have prophecy, to follow our faith through all things, and know that even the darkest moments of our own lives can serve the power in the Cross, for redemptive strength that is possible for the One with whom all things are possible (Matthew 19:36).  Jesus tells Peter, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword," raising for us the question:  In what (or Whom) do we put our faith?  Christ teaches us to rely upon God, and that message remains as important as it ever was, and perhaps now more than ever.