READ: Mark 14:32-41
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.

REFLECT: This story is troubling to some. Through the years some have been bothered by Jesus’ deep distress and, especially, his request to God for a way out of the cross. To some it makes Jesus seem something less than divine.

Some have the mistaken idea that Jesus wasn’t really human. That he floated through life with a massive advantage over us thoroughly human types. Like a superhero, what’s impossible for us, was incredibly easy for him.

Yes, of course, Jesus was/is divine. But he was also fully human, “tempted,” Hebrews says, “in every way, just as we are.” (4:15) As disorienting as it is, Jesus was overwhelmed, tempted, and, here especially, at the end of his physical, mental and emotional reserves. Yet he rejected sin and obeyed his Father’s will. That’s why the writer of Hebrews tells us to pray with confidence and “receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)

Here’s another mistaken idea: The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will. So where does that leave Jesus. If he was sinless, how did he end up “deeply distressed and troubled”?

It’s true, obeying God often works out. You can avoid all sorts of traps and destructive life patterns if you follow the way of life the Bible outlines. But sometimes God leads us straight into danger rather than out of it.

The way of Jesus is good. But it is also can be the way of sacrifice and inconvenience, of suffering and pain. We know God can be trusted. And like Jesus we should submit to our father’s will.  

One final mistaken idea: If you’re spiritual enough, God will answer all your prayers. Really? So was Jesus not spiritual enough? Is that why God didn’t answer his prayer? No! Jesus prayed honestly and God said no. Yet Jesus obeyed, accepting that God knew best.

We should pray just as boldly as Jesus did. We should bring him our deepest desires. But we should also pray as Jesus did, adding “your will be done.”  

RESPOND: The story of Jesus in the Garden is one of the most important stories in the Bible. We’ve all had our Garden moments, difficult times when God asks us to trust with something that seems impossible, and obey him when we’d much rather say no. Here is how we can pray in our own Garden moments:

Tell God directly what it is that is troubling you.

Ask him to remove the difficulties that are in your way.

Ask him to guide you toward the path you should take.

Tell God that, because you trust that he is good and wise, you will do whatever it is he asks.