Matthew 26:39-43
And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
The contrast between passionate obedience and dispassionate, or at least oblivious, ignorance is stunning. Jesus is not unaware of what is going to happen. And, as we noted yesterday, his reaction to these events is both passionate and poignant. He would, at this moment, give almost anything to avoid the fate he anticipates. And so he prays that the bitter cup may pass from him.
Which is striking. Jesus doesn’t just accept his fate stoically. He protests, mourns, and asks that it may not happen. Which, I think, gives us license to do the same. When we have been disappointed, hurt, let down, or upset, there is absolutely nothing wrong with pouring all of that into our prayers. Jesus did.
And then, through this heartfelt prayer, he comes to a level of acceptance and obedience. Which, I think, invites us to think differently, or at least reflect more deeply, on the nature of prayer. Prayer is not something we do simply because we should. And prayer isn’t something we do hoping to manipulate events. Prayer, rather, is foremost relational – it is a vehicle for sharing our deepest and truest thoughts, feelings, concerns, and desires with God. And through the act of that sharing, we are changed, moved, empowered and strengthened to cope with the present and future as we realize we are also and always accompanied through whatever the present and future may bring.
This prayer at Gethsemane, I believe, is where we see Jesus as deeply connected to God as anywhere in the Gospels, for he is willing to share all that he is and be changed in and through that sharing.
The disciples, by contrast, are oblivious, ignorant of his struggle, for they do not – perhaps cannot – pay attention either to Jesus’ struggle or to God’s presence. Sometimes I wonder if that’s the greater sorrow. Not that at times we are angry at God or even run away from God, but rather that at times we are apathetic and do not care enough even to pay attention.
Prayer: Dear God, save us from dispassion and ignorance, that we may know and revel in your great love for us and all people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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