Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane by Giambattista Tiepolo (1750)
In Mark 14:32-42 we see Jesus entering the Garden of Gethsemane to pray….this is his darkest moment on earth thus far. His “soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Mark 14:34) – the reality of what is about to occur is setting in & there is anguish. He is about to head to the cross where He will be beaten, tortured and killed. But I think as awful & gut wrenching as that was I believe Jesus experienced greater sorrow over that fact that He would be facing the unbridled, unwavering wrath of God Almighty – for the sin of mankind…all sin from Adam & Eve in the garden to my unrestrained anger blow-up yesterday. Perfect fellowship with the Father from eternity past is about to be broken – for the first time. The weight of that reality must have been incalculable.
As he enters deep into the garden he takes His three closest friends – Peter, James & John. These men represented Jesus’ inner circle…these were His men and he brings them in to keep watch. Going a little farther he falls to his knees…and then to his face & through tears & turmoil we can never fully grasp he surrenders His will to the Father.
Coming back to his closest friends he finds them asleep. To Peter, the unofficial second in command Jesus asks, “Are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). And Jesus heads back to pray and to wrestle with the impending reality. And again….he comes back and finds them sleeping. They look at Jesus but did not know what to say – they have failed again. And again Jesus goes back to fall before the Father in prayer & returning a third time he finds his friends asleep. They heaviness of their eyes outweighed their desire to support Jesus. They could not sustain the energy needed to keep watch for their friend, their leader, their Savior.
I find myself locked in on Jesus’ statement, “the spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak.” How true it was for these men – who promised Jesus just moments before falling asleep that they would never leave him…they would never forsake him…indeed, they would die for him. Their spirit was willing….their flesh was weak. All their zeal & gusto fled when it got to be past their bedtime.
I’d be kidding myself if I thought that Peter, James & John were the only ones to whom the whole “willing spirit, weak flesh” thing applied to, right? How many times have I made bold claims for Jesus? How many “I’ll never leave you, forsake you, abandon you” proclamations have I made only to find myself fast asleep within 10 minutes? A willing spirit….a weak flesh. All talk; no game.
There’s only one Hero in this passage. Only one person with a willing spirit & and a trained flesh. The One who, in spite of the unimaginable suffering that was before him was able to say, “It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand” (Mark 14:41-42). All others flee – their resolve faltering before the soldier’s spears. Only One remains. And He would head to a cross to save people with weak flesh – people like Peter, James & John…..and people like David.
