Sleeping Through the Crisis
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."...Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy....Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand." Matt. 26:40-46, RSV.
And what were the disciples doing as Jesus struggled in agony? Sleeping! They had been His closest followers for three years and yet they didn't seem to have the slightest conception of what was happening or what their Lord was going through.
Yet Jesus had selected Peter and the Zebedee brothers to accompany Him that fateful evening because He needed them desperately. Like other humans, Jesus desired human companionship and support in times of stress. But all they did during His struggle was to sleep. Jesus was truly alone.
But just a short time before, these very disciples had protested that they would die for Him. Now all they could do is sleep.
They had let their Lord down at the time when He needed them most. Yet He understood. The stress and excitement of the past few days had drained their strength and resistance. They truly were tired. And at that point we find the graciousness of Jesus. Even in the crisis of His life He realized that in their hearts they were sincere, even if they all too easily surrendered to their bodily demands and temptations.
Jesus forgave them. But what a blessing they missed! They needed the strength that could have come to them through prayer. Yet all they could do was sleep.
But that sleeping did not stop the wheels of history. They had missed their last opportunity to support their Lord in his earthly existence. The praying Jesus would move on to the cross. And the prayerless, sleeping disciples would rush into the future unprepared. All would soon abandon Him and Peter would deny Him. All had slept through their hour of opportunity.
Sleeping disciples are still with us today. Our spirits may be willing, yet all too often our flesh is weak. But now in this time of peace is the opportunity to become strong for the crisis that lies before us. Today is the day to wake up!
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."...Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy....Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand." Matt. 26:40-46, RSV.
And what were the disciples doing as Jesus struggled in agony? Sleeping! They had been His closest followers for three years and yet they didn't seem to have the slightest conception of what was happening or what their Lord was going through.
Yet Jesus had selected Peter and the Zebedee brothers to accompany Him that fateful evening because He needed them desperately. Like other humans, Jesus desired human companionship and support in times of stress. But all they did during His struggle was to sleep. Jesus was truly alone.
But just a short time before, these very disciples had protested that they would die for Him. Now all they could do is sleep.
They had let their Lord down at the time when He needed them most. Yet He understood. The stress and excitement of the past few days had drained their strength and resistance. They truly were tired. And at that point we find the graciousness of Jesus. Even in the crisis of His life He realized that in their hearts they were sincere, even if they all too easily surrendered to their bodily demands and temptations.
Jesus forgave them. But what a blessing they missed! They needed the strength that could have come to them through prayer. Yet all they could do was sleep.
But that sleeping did not stop the wheels of history. They had missed their last opportunity to support their Lord in his earthly existence. The praying Jesus would move on to the cross. And the prayerless, sleeping disciples would rush into the future unprepared. All would soon abandon Him and Peter would deny Him. All had slept through their hour of opportunity.
Sleeping disciples are still with us today. Our spirits may be willing, yet all too often our flesh is weak. But now in this time of peace is the opportunity to become strong for the crisis that lies before us. Today is the day to wake up!
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