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.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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.  

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 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 that as Jesus and the disciples were eating the Passover meal (in the final week of His earthly life), He 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 comments that this cup refers to Christ's impending death.  It says that according to His divine nature, Jesus willingly goes to His death.  As human being, He wishes He could avoid it, for it is the mark of humanity to abhor death.  He prays if it is possible that it be taken from Him, thus giving abundant proof of His human nature.  Nonetheless, Jesus is 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."  My study Bible notes that Jesus' command, Watch and pray, is the key to Christian spirituality and our struggle against temptation.   It says that by this, the Lord's human soul is strengthened, and He faces death with divine courage.  In contrast to Christ's vigilance, the disciples sleep.  Since body and soul are united, the spirit is paralyzed by a lethargic body.  A willing spirit, recognizing the weakness of the flesh, struggles against its weakness, relying on the presence and power of God.

 

In some sense, the sleeping of the disciples is symbolic of their own lack of awareness of what is happening.  Perhaps sleep, in this example, can be said to be a form of denial -- as Jesus has already named will be a part of the pattern that is coming (see Saturday's reading, above).  In this case, just as they denied that they could possibly be made to stumble ("Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble," said Peter), they are now sleeping and unaware of Christ's great struggle, even though He continually encourages them to watch and pray with Him, even though He's said, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  Jesus is their Lord, their Master, their Teacher, the One who has done so many magnificent signs of the presence of the power of God and the Kingdom.  He is the One who will go through all things, and has led them through all things.  But now He is "exceedingly sorrowful, even to death."  We might imagine what an impact this statement might make to those who have come to rely on His leadership and strength through all things.  Jesus says of Peter's failure to watch with Him, ""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."  Peter is asleep even to his own weakness at this point.  His sleep is, in a sense, an oblivion, a denial of the need to watch and pray, lest he enter into temptation.  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus tells Peter, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat."  We are to watch and pray especially at such times of deep distress, sorrow, high emotions such as fear and anger or other great passions, when we are shocked and shaken by what is happening, and our soul is in a kind of upheaval, where the unknown looms and panic is easy.  I have found that this is especially true when death is near, whether that be a loved one or in any other circumstance in which we are somehow involved or with which we are concerned.  These are the times when so many stumble, when we can lapse into our own resources of selfishness, cruelty, short-sightedness, and be asleep to the power of God in our lives and how God would lead us instead.  When we look carefully at the Scriptures, we'll see that Christ's command here is echoed for all of us, and several times, especially the call to alertness, wakefulness, to watch.  This goes along with prayer, for it means mindfulness.  This is the theme of the parables He has given in chapters 24 and 25.  As Jesus faces His greatest test, it is a time of terrible tragedy and trauma.  He knows that His death is a threat to the well-being of His Church, the disciples upon whom the Church will rest, and of course there is so much more to this story.  The paradox of the Cross, and of the nature of evil in the world, of God's seeming failure to eradicate that evil, will be with us always.  In the traumas we face in life and terrible times of struggle both within ourselves and that which we witness in events in our lives and our world, we will face such pressures, tensions, and questions of struggle.  Jesus calls His death the cup He must drink, as He is aware that His way must be that of the Cross.  One cannot imagine the tension and pressures on the human Jesus, the stakes that are as high as the whole width and depth and breadth of the cosmos, of creation itself.  But He has come to save, and this is the way He will do it.  Let us always watch and pray, so that we, also, are aware of what is happening and what we are about.  For there is one who will seek to take advantage of such times to sift us like wheat.  Let us watch and pray as He has taught, and not be asleep to our own real challenges and choices.

 

 

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation

 

 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 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?"  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 prophecy of Zechariah 13:7.  Speaking also prophetically, He tells Peter that, despite Peter's vehement assurances to the contrary, "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."  Gethsemane means "oil press."  It is an orchard of olive trees at the foot of the Mount of Olives.  My study Bible comments that Christ intentionally came to the place known to His betrayer Judas, one of His disciples (see John 18:2).  This shows that He was going to His Passion willingly and voluntarily.  It reveals Christ went to find Judas rather than Judas finding Christ.  Taken together in this context, we understand Christ is fully aware of this night as the beginning of His Passion, His way to betrayal and the Cross.  Hence He is troubled and deeply distressed, and His fully human identity is revealed in His words and His need for His closest disciples (Peter, James, and John), the ones of greatest faith.  There is no doubt that the sorrow in His soul is also connected to His concerns about His flock, what they will undergo, how they will respond, and how they will fare without Him in the flesh as their Protector and Leader.

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."    Abba in Aramaic is the familiar form for Father, my study Bible says.  It is equivalent to "Papa," and indicates Christ's intimacy with God the Father.  This cup is a reference to Christ's impending death, my study Bible explains.  According to His divine nature, Jesus 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 to the Father, "Take this cup away from Me," showing His human nature; "nevertheless, not what I will but what You will."  He is without sin and completely subjects and unites His human will to the Father's divine 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."  Jesus tells the disciples, "Watch and pray."  These are also the bywords He has given to all of us for the period in which we live, while we await His Second Coming (see this reading).   My study Bible calls this phrase the key to Christian spirituality and our struggle against temptation.  It says that by this, the Lord's human soul is strengthened, and He faces death with divine courage.  In contrast to the vigilance of Jesus, the disciples are sleeping.  Since body and soul are united, my study Bible says, the spirit is paralyzed by a lethargic body.  A willing spirit recognizes the weakness of the flesh, and struggles against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power.  

Jesus goes toward His death as a hero, in a heroic way.  This is not to say that He is a kind of conventional conquering hero -- one who slays His enemies in front of Him and dominates everybody.  On the contrary, He is prepared to go to His death on the Cross as a kind of victim.  That is, a victim of the plots of the religious leadership and their manipulation of the people, because He gets in the way of their power and positions.  But, on the other hand, a victim is not one with the power that Christ has, the miraculous powers witnessed throughout His ministry, or His compelling power to speak which subdued and daunted even the police in the temple who came to arrest Him (see John 7:45-46).  We also know of Jesus' testimony to the power of prayer (see Mark 11:23), and we certainly know the power of the Son to pray to the Father ("Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?" - Matthew 26:53).  No, this is not at all a victim, except to the eyes of those who know nothing about the Christ and His identity as Son and the compelling nature of His character, leadership, and popular ministry.  He only looks like a victim to the eyes of those for whom strictly material appearances have meaning without depth of any kind.  Christ faces death for one reason only:  out of loyalty to the Father's will, and because He knows that this is the way to defeat death for human beings, the final enemy, and to destroy the "prince of this world" who holds human beings in a kind of slavery.  That is the power of the Cross, and there is so much more that His Passion, death, and Resurrection holds for us.  This is the ultimate power of God to transfigure and transform life for human beings, and the one way to salvation.  Because the one thing that God will not do is to compel us to love God.  Our choices are still our own.  Coercion will not save anybody; only repentance can work in the heart.  It is the devil who enslaves and compels and manipulates, not our loving God.  So Jesus goes to the Cross as a hero who faces sacrifice for the sake of all:  in yesterday's reading (above) Jesus says, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many" (for many is an Aramaic expression meaning "for all").  He tells His disciples to "Watch and pray" and so we should remember these words in Gethsemane.  For Jesus' earthly and human soul is in anguish, but nevertheless He subjects His human will to the divine.  He gives us a model of love.  This is the love of a man who walks into battle against the odds because it is the one way others have a chance of being saved, or of a mother who endures all manner  of hardship to care for her children.  It is not the way that sees only prosperity as the reward for good behavior or a simplistic and materialistic sense of the good life to which all are entitled.  This is the heroism of those who understand that we don't live in a perfect world, and there are times when we need to stand up to a crowd, or be humiliated for the sake of those whom we love, or even to take one on the chin for the team.  Life is not just a set of simplistic material values but involves a deeper sense of honor and ultimately of love that is the real treasure without which our souls seem empty.  Christ's heroism is the heroism of the One who cares for us and seeks to nurture and protect us, even to the point of dying for us.  And we watch His example and honor Him by taking His word to heart:  we must watch and pray with Him, even as He goes to His betrayal.  As human beings, we know His agony and we know His torment, the human loathing and terror of death and the terrible anticipation of extreme suffering.  We also will face betrayal in life, and friends who stumble, and who sleep when we need them, and we know the struggle against the weakness of flesh.  Let us watch and pray with Him, for our Lord has descended into this world to face suffering and death with us, to liberate us through His love and compassion and sacrifice for us, and He leaves us with the gift of His word.

 

 

Watch and pray

 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 that as Jesus and the disciples were eating the Passover supper (known as the Last Supper), 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."   This cup, my study bible notes, refers to Christ's impending death.  According to His divine nature, Jesus willingly goes to His death; but as human being He wishes He could avoid it.  To abhor death is the mark of humanity.  Jesus prays if it is possible the cup be taken from Him, thereby He gives us abundant proof of His human nature.  However, Jesus is without sin.  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 bible calls the phrase "Watch and pray" the key to Christian spirituality and our struggle against temptation.  By this, it says, the Lord's human soul was strengthened, and He faces death with divine courage.  In contrast to the Lord's vigilance, the disciples sleep.  As body and soul are united, my study bible reminds us, the spirit is paralyzed by a lethargic body.  A willing spirit, through recognition of the weakness of the flesh, struggles against weakness and relies on God's presence and power.

Watch and pray:  My study bible calls this the great formula -- the key -- to Christian spirituality and our struggle against temptation.  So, in this context, let us think about applications and meanings and understanding in our own lives.  If we examine temptation in the context of today's reading, we come up against something very startling.  As Christ is life itself in His divine nature ("I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6), it is hard for us even to consider that, in fact, He struggles against His human impulse for life and against death.  But, as He has told the disciples several times already (and also is found repeated in prophecy and in the Psalms) going to the Cross is part of "the way" of the salvation plan for the entire cosmos, all of creation.  It is indeed "the cup" that is before Him.  Earlier, He called it His cup and His baptism.  When Peter suggested that He should never be crucified or killed, Jesus replied to him, "Get behind Me, Satan!"   In popular culture, we think of temptations as things which might give temporary pleasure but in the long run aren't good for us -- like overindulgence in food, or deleterious sexual behavior, or excessive greed (all products of a lack of good or healthy boundaries).  But in this case, Jesus' temptation is something we hold sacred:  the impulse to abhor death and to cling to life.  In Jesus' example, we must face up to the paradoxical nature of our faith, which is a result of its truly transcendent nature.  We serve not simply a good set of ethics or values or rules, but something that supersedes all:  we serve the God who is the source of all life, who is beyond limitations of space and time, and even in this time of temptation in the garden of Gethsemane, the boundaries of what we know as good and evil.  In this case, it is the evil of death itself -- even the work of the devil -- which will be used for God's purposes.  In effect, Jesus' temptation is to resist normal and healthy human impulses in order to follow the will of God and complete the salvation plan for an entire created universe.  He must go to the Cross, and drink His cup and emerge through His baptism.  Without the Cross, there is no Resurrection:  just as without Resurrection, there is no Christianity and no salvation.  Each is essential within the divine plan of God for a world beset by evil and separation.  Jesus must, in effect, transcend His most basic human impulse in order to fulfill His mission as Son.  How can we begin to understand these things?  How can we apply them in our own lives?    We so often think of temptations as having set boundaries and definitions, things that apply within particular structures we can rationalize and condense into formulae.  But God works in ways we can't necessarily calculate.  Naysayers of our faith often call it simplistic or "pollyannaish," but as we read in today's passage, it is anything but that.  St. Paul writes in Romans 11:33-36, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"  He then quotes from Isaiah 40:12 and Jeremiah 23:18.   It is Jesus who teaches that the work of the Holy Spirit is mysterious indeed (John 3:8), and the Old Testament is filled with stories of evil being ultimately used by God for good, such as the life of Job or of Joseph.  But no truth is more powerful than Jesus' struggle against the temptation to flee death in this story of what transpires in the garden of Gethsemane.  As Adam and Eve failed to resist temptation in the garden of Eden, Jesus is now tested by temptation in another garden.  But this time, the struggle is met with faith against overwhelming pressures and the most powerful human impulse to preserve life.  In this context, Jesus pleads with the disciples to watch and pray, and He gives us the key to all things in our faith.  The disciples fail Him, and sleep although He asks for them to watch and pray with Him as He struggles against His sorrow.  Luke tells us that the disciples themselves "sleep for sorrow" (Luke 22:45).  This in itself could be considered an example of a failure to struggle against something nominally good which in this case acts as temptation (that is, against the sorrow at the approaching betrayal and death of Christ).  What we can take away from today's reading is that our own struggles against temptation, if we take up our cross following in Christ's footsteps, might be anything but clear and simple in actual experience and practice.  Something nominally good can become a temptation or exploited for the practice of evil.  A filial love of a parent, for example, can be abused to exploit loyalty for purposes of greed, sexuality, violence, or otherwise.  In this case the temptation on the part of the child or other family member is to allow one's love for the abuser to override a loyalty to God if in prayer we understand our role must be different from what is demanded within the family.  Such struggles against what is nominally good are not necessarily as strange as we might think, as it was Christ Himself who spoke of being a sword which will come between family members (10:34-39).  Indeed, at the end of that passage, He emphasizes what quite literally comes to pass in today's scene in the garden:  "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."  Let us consider our own temptations in life.  We may find ourselves, also, in circumstances that are not easy or simple, and the thread of our lives as followers of the way of the Cross difficult and complicated, even struggling with temptations of what is nominally good.  But our key is to watch and pray, and to invite other faithful to help us also through their prayer.  We struggle against things unseen, unclear, things which are not necessarily black and white to the rational intellect and the world of "flesh and blood," but, as St. Paul puts it, "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  Let us consider the necessity at all times for prayer -- that we both watch and pray, remaining alert to temptations which may not be obvious to ourselves or to others, even the paradoxical times when our prayer may ask us not to struggle openly against what seems evil or bad.  For it is in this way, and at such times that the light shines in the darkness -- even though the darkness will not comprehend (John 1:5).

My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me

 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 to 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 that as Jesus and the disciples were eating the Passover meal known as the Last Supper, 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 tells us that this cup refers to Christ's impending death.  He willingly goes to His death according to His divine nature.  But as a man, He wishes He could avoid it, because it is a mark of humanity to abhor death.  He prays if it is possible that it be taken from Him, thereby giving us abundant proof of His human nature.  But nevertheless, Jesus is without sin and completely subjects and units 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 to 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 gives us -- at this time of greatest tension and danger -- the key to Christian spirituality and the struggle against temptation:  to watch and pray.  In this way, the Lord's human soul is strengthened, my study bible says, and He may face death with divine courage.  In contrast to Christ's vigilance, the disciples sleep.  Body and soul are united, and the spirit is paralyzed by a lethargic body:  a willing spirit, recognizing the weakness of the flesh, will struggle against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power.

What is the greatest weapon we have at times of tremendous stress and difficulties?  Constant prayer.  One of the greatest gifts our faith has given us is the practice of prayer of the hours.   This is the daily practice of prayer at particular intervals during the day.  It stems from Jewish practices.  Psalm 119:164 refers to these formal prayer periods:  "Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments."    In Christianity, these set times for different prayers during the day evolved in different centers, becoming standardized forms in various denominations of the Church.  One may easily adapt the practice to individual use if not available in a church, in accordance with various forms among the Orthodox, Anglican/Episcopalian, Catholic, and varied Protestant traditions.  (Here, for example, is an Orthodox page on the daily hours of prayer.)  It is highly effective as a rule for regular prayer, and particularly so in the context of this event in Jesus' life:  at our times of greatest stress and difficulty.  In times when we are stressed to make difficult decisions, such as the ill health of a loved one, or a financial crisis, or a great challenge to our sense of ourselves, we are in a position of vulnerability.  Great temptations can come and seem to accompany such times, along with great stress.  As Jesus tells us in this worst-of-times example, it is particularly important to have regular times to pray when we find ourselves in such circumstances.  Prayer withdraws us from our immediate stresses, and allows us to "plug in" to the Source of all our being and strength.  It enables us to draw upon the great well of eternal strength that is there for us, recharging us and giving us a perspective that isn't found anywhere else.  To schedule regular times of prayer in the midst of a crisis is to call a time-out, a time for recharging our batteries, and most especially for drawing upon the energies found in the source of all life, our God.  It is at those times when each of us may be in the greatest spiritual danger.  It is as if, in our times of great turmoil. we are vulnerable to temptations that are unknown to us or for which we are unprepared.  At such times, taking timeouts for regular prayer, using the written prayers of the Church, can make an exceptional difference in how we handle terrible circumstances.  Personal prayer is always important, but the daily cycle of prayers composed of traditional prayer make a great difference, as they take us out of our immediate circumstances and give us the tools, foundations, and strengths shored up and accumulated through centuries of human experience in which we may participate and share when we need it.  Jesus gives us the example:  watch and pray.  There is nothing more crucial when the flesh is weak -- at our times when all our personal mental, physical, and spiritual resources are tested and in danger of exhaustion.  Even if we have to take time out of our sleep for such prayer, the reward is greater stability, balance, and energy for making the decisions we need to make in times of distress.  Let us learn from Him and follow His commands for the good of our own lives.  At those times, He will watch with us when we enter into prayer, along with a host of witnesses and help.

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation

 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 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 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.  We recall that just a few verses earlier, when Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him, they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  But here Peter resists the moment, and insists that even if all are made to stumble, he will not be.  And all follow suit, and say likewise.  But Jesus prophecies Peter's own denial, giving us stark emphasis on what sort of a time this is.    Jesus quotes from Zechariah 13:7.

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."  Gethsemane means "oil press."  This is an orchard of olive trees at the foot of the Mount of Olives.   It is a place known already to His disciple Judas, Jesus' betrayer, to which Jesus has intentionally come.  My study bible says that this shows He was going to His Passion willingly and voluntarily.  It reveals that He went to find Judas, rather than Judas finding Christ.  The Gospel shows us fully the human responses to incomprehensible tragedy and betrayal.  The disciples sleep, perhaps not able to take it all in.  Abba in Aramaic is like saying "Papa."  It is a title of intimacy, showing Christ's relationship to God the Father.  Jesus' human response is openly on display -- as a man, He wishes He could avoid this, that the Father would take this cup away.  Ultimately, however, Jesus' human will is subject to the Father's and their wills are united; He is without sin.  "Watch and pray" are words Jesus has given already in His prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and also of His Return and the time of the end (see this reading and the two before it).  My study bible says these words are the key to Christian spirituality and our struggle against temptation.  By doing so, the Lord's human soul is strengthened, and He faces death with divine courage.  The disciples, however, sleep, in contrast to Christ's vigilance.  Since 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 own weakness, relying instead on God's presence and power.

"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation."   This saying by Christ really comes as a type of echo of Christ's words of warning about times of tribulation, in the earlier readings in which He prophesied the destruction of the temple and taught about end times.  Here, it applies to this time of terrible trouble, imminent betrayal, and His Crucifixion and death.  He's already told them as well (quoting from the prophecy of Zechariah above) that the Shepherd will be struck, so that the sheep will be scattered and helpless.   To watch, we remember, is to be alert.  In some sense, it is the opposite of what the disciples are doing.  It is the opposite of sleeping.  To watch is to be aware and awake, keen to grasp exactly what is happening around oneself.  Jesus speaks of watching and praying in order to avoid temptation, and these are words that help us at all times.  Whether we may be tempted by despair, or by fury, or a sense of helplessness -- all of these things work against our own capacities for faith and strength in that faith.   Most of all, one might surmise here, Jesus is most afraid that He will lose His sheep to this time of evil.  All the elements of times gone awry are here:  betrayal, injustice, lies, slander, false witness, violence as a kind of  "solution" which also acts as a type of lie.  We remember that a lie is at the heart of evil, as Jesus characterizes the devil:  "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44).  To murder the truth and silence it is an ultimate form of a lie.  It is another form of temptation to succumb to loss of faith, believing the denial in a lie that suppresses the word of truth and the truth about God's love for us.  In the Revelation we read, "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie" (Revelation 22:14-15).  A lie is at the heart of this time of evil in today's reading, but by extending all the forms that lies can take, including extreme violence and injustice, we begin to get a sense of what the words, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" can really mean for us.  At all times of betrayal and upheaval, temptations to believe lies and denials of truth, injustice and evil, we need to follow His words.  It is at these times when we are most vulnerable to being thrown off the track, away from the true path of our faith, outside of that narrow gate that shows us His way.  Jesus doesn't just call on His friends for help -- although that is also an essential and very important piece of this byword.  We need to learn from this example He sets that watching and praying is also something we do for our friends in times of trouble.  Somehow our strength is multiplied through this effort in which we all may participate together with the grace that comes through prayer and communion with God.  To watch and pray is to take up protection and arms against the enemy, to fight the good fight for the victory of the soul.  In times of great uncertainty, let us always remember His word to us.  Let us not be asleep to the reality of what we truly need.  In this action, we "put on the whole armor of God," as St. Paul said, concluding that we should be "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (see Ephesians 6:10-18).  In this is our strength, through all times and struggles and need.  We start there.

And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!

Panagia Grigoroussa

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"

- Mark 13:28-37

 In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His discourse to the disciples on the time of the destruction of the temple (and the Siege of Jerusalem), and also of the end of the age.  (It began with Saturday's reading):  "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.   Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven."

  "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study bible says that this generation refers to all believers at all times (that is, the generation of the Church).  It's not merely meant for those alive at the time of Christ, although in a limited sense -- meant to refer only to the events of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem -- it does apply to "this generation" of His contemporaries, approximately 40 years later.  But the prophecy of His Return teaches us that the Church will continue to thrive until that time, my study bible notes -- no matter how desperate things may sometimes appear to be.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"  St. John Chrysostom writes that although Jesus declares that the Son does not know the day of His own return, this isn't to be understood literally but rather as a figure of speech.  It is simply to be taken by us as that He will not reveal to us the exact day -- and that believers should not be so bold as to ask it of Him.  The emphasis here is on what we are to be about during this time in which we await His return.  "Take heed, watch and pray" is our formula for obedient service, doing what our Master wishes from us. 

Jesus' final byword at the end of chapter 13 (and His warning about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the time of His Return), is "Watch!"  It's an important and significant word, coming as it does in this place.  In the Greek, "watch" is translated from γρηγορεῖτε (grigoreite'), in the plural second person, addressed to all of us as a command from the Master.  This word comes from one that might literally be meant to mean "quicken," but it is used to indicate watchfulness, as a guard is put on watch, or rousing from sleep -- alertness, wakefulness.  In modern Greek, its root is used to mean "fast" or "quickly."  One can imagine its use for the way a good servant or soldier would respond to a command, with alacrity.  It means to keep vigilant and be attentive, especially as used in the context of Scripture.  Interestingly, in the Greek Orthodox tradition there is also an icon of Mary with the title "Grigoroussa," meaning one who comes quickly in response to prayer -- as one who prays with us and hears our requests for her prayers to the Son in assistance to us.  (An original icon was brought by refugees from Asia Minor, and dedicated in 1945 to this church in Athens, Greece -- also times of great tribulation.)  To watch and be wakeful is, in the broadest sense in which Jesus uses this word, to be aware of the things of God, the things He's warned us about.  We are to know our places and our "work" as good servants who await the Master's return.  Taken with the context of the title for Mary, the one who comes quickly to pray with us, we can understand this command to "Watch!" as one to know what business we are to be about.  We remember that the Master may return at any moment, and at a time which we don't know.  Are there others who need our prayers, or our help in some form?  Is there something that we'd be quick to do if the Master's eye were upon us, and He were there in person standing before us?  These are the things we must be attentive to, alert to, vigilant about, and watchful for.  We're supposed to be aware, not sleeping, nor forgetful nor lax because the Master seems to be away for a long time.  This is what "Watch!" means as a command.  Mary, as our great example among the communion of saints, sets the tone by her love of Christ, her loyalty, and her vigilance.  She is the one who comes quickly to pray with us, who responds to true need, and does not turn away -- as she did not turn away nor desert her Son at the Cross, but remained vigilantly watching despite her pain.  How do you see your calling by Christ?  Is there someone who needs your prayers right now?  Is there something that needs doing?  If He were to return this moment, and were standing in front of you, His eyes upon you, what is it you need to be alert to?  What need do you see around you, or have in your own life to do things His way?  What needs your attention?  This is the great call we have, the way He calls us all to live.  Be alert to the things of God, of Christ.  Take heed, watch and pray. Above all, Watch!