DAY FIVE -- Human...and Weak
Only one act of pure love, unsullied by any taint of ulterior motive has ever been performed in the history of the world, namely the self-giving of God in Christ on the cross of undeserving sinners. That is why, if we are looking for a definition of love, we should look not in a dictionary, but at Calvary. —John R. Stott
Reflect
Spend a few minutes quieting your heart before God. Think of the word passion. It is synonymous with words like ardor, fire, and fervor. See Jesus with an ardent, fervent, fiery commitment to go to the cross. Worship Him.
Perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16:For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (NASB)
Read
Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14:38 NASB)
Jesus moves beyond His disciples, falling to the ground a few feet away. Pressing His face into the soil He once breathed into being, His body shakes in violent struggle. From the pit of His soul a child cries: “Abba—Daddy.” He writhes, groans, and pleads for another way.
The battle in the Garden continues to weaken Jesus until it feels as if His very breath has been knocked from Him. He gasps. Reckoning with the feebleness of His own flesh reminds Him of the three sleeping nearby.
Rising, Jesus studies their faces across the way. What does He see? Frailty? Naive trust? Does He reflect on their inclination to falter when put to the test, or their weaknesses that He has come to know so well? What concerns lay heavy on Jesus’ heart as He watches them sleep?
There is James, who hours ago sought to secure a status for himself that will never be. And Peter, who for all his bravado hides a little boy inside, secretly cowering in fear of failure. Sweet John, wanting nothing more than to love and be loved. All three sound asleep, oblivious to the horror the coming hours hold.
Does He feel compelled to warn them, to somehow get through to them before it is too late? The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Only a few minutes remain—how can they possibly understand?
For two long nights they will face the darkness and try to deny that their Messiah has deserted them. The questions, the fears, the endless whys will tear at their budding belief systems. Hopelessness could creep into the empty moments and anger plant its bitter seeds. If His own battle to trust His Father is this fierce, how will they ever survive?
Jesus’ voice echoes in the dark night with uncharacteristic harshness like a parent fearing for their child’s safety. Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
How He must long to fortify their faith, to invigorate them with determination, to make certain they pray without ceasing through the hours to come. How hard it will be to leave them. The time together is almost gone.
Still they slumber, unaware of the intense emotion He experiences on their behalf. Turning away, He mutters almost to Himself, “Go ahead and sleep . . . get your rest. You will need it.”
What can He do after all He’s already done? What can He say after all that’s been said? In a matter of moments, they, too, will confront head-on the grim reality that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Respond
Meditate for a few moments on how Jesus felt, knowing what His disciples would be facing. Can you imagine the intensity of His concern? Consider His compassion for them even in the midst of His own intense personal struggle.
Galatians 5:17 says, “The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (NASB). Based on this verse, what battles do you think the disciples will be facing in the ensuing hours?
What struggles do you face even now to follow the Spirit? Do you feel the weakness of your own flesh? Contemplate the reality that Jesus sees every battle you face, especially when your faith falters and you cannot see God’s hand. Look at your own life and spiritual journey. Hear Christ saying to you, “Watch and pray.” How will you answer?
Write a response commitment in your prayer journal.
A Prayer
Lord, in the midst of Your own agony, Your followers inhabit Your heart. How You loved them. How You love me. And how You must grieve at my oblivion to the danger lurking in the shadows of faith. I, too, need Your gentle admonition to watch and pray in a world that at times seems void of Your touch. In the living of life, moment by moment, day by day, and when darkness tempts me to forget all You have said and done, let me hear Your voice calling: “Watch and pray.”
Reprinted by permission. Contemplating the Cross: a Forty Day Pilgrimage of Prayer, Tricia McCary Rhodes, 2004, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Copying or using this material without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited and in direct violation of copyright law.
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