Scripture passage that caught my attention today: Matthew 26:36-41 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. 38 Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” 39 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.” 40 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? 41 Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Observation: Verse 39 includes the very famous prayer of Jesus. Yet the disciples pretty much slept right through it.
Application: Many church buildings have a stained-glass window depicting Jesus praying in the garden on the night in which he was betrayed. This glimpse into the humanity of Jesus has inspired millions of people. But at the time the disciples apparently saw it as just another night in the garden and it wasn’t enough to lift their droopy eyes.
Sometimes we just don’t realize how important something is at the time and it’s only after the fact that we realize the true significance. A college professor of mine was fond of the expression: “Life is a tough teacher; it gives you the test first and the lesson afterwards.” The disciples had just failed a test and, in the process, learned a lesson they would never forget.
I’ve had a few of those kinds of tests and subsequent lessons myself.
Prayer: Lord, I guess it doesn’t really matter whether we learn things the hard way or the easy way, as long as we eventually learn what you’re trying to teach. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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