Mark 14:32-42

The history of our Lord’s agony in the garden of Gethsemane is a deep and mysterious passage of Scripture. It contains things which the wisest divines cannot fully explain. Yet it has upon its surface plain truths of most momentous importance.

Let us mark, in the first place, how keenly our Lord felt the burden of a world’s sin. It is written that He “began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; and saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death,”—and that “he fell on the ground, and prayed, that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.”
There is only one reasonable explanation of these expressions. It was no mere fear of the physical suffering of death, which drew them from our Lord’s lips. It was a sense of the enormous load of human guilt, which began at that time to press upon Him in a peculiar way. It was a sense of the unutterable weight of our sins and transgressions which were then specially laid upon Him. He was being “made a curse for us.” He was bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows according to the covenant He came on earth to fulfil. He was being “made sin for us who Himself knew no sin.” His holy nature felt acutely the hideous burden laid upon Him. These were the reasons of His extraordinary sorrow.

We ought to see in our Lord’s agony in Gethsemane the exceeding sinfulness of sin. It is a subject on which the thoughts of professing Christians are far below what they should be. The careless, light way in which such sins as swearing, sabbath-breaking, lying, and the like, are often spoken of, is a painful evidence of the low condition of men’s moral feelings. Let the recollection of Gethsemane have a sanctifying effect upon us. Whatever others do, let us never “make a mock at sin.”

Let us mark, in the second place, what an example our Lord gives us of the importance of prayer in time of trouble. In the hour of His distress we find Him employing this great remedy. Twice we are told that when His soul was exceeding sorrowful, “He prayed.”

We shall never find a better receipt than this, for the patient bearing of affliction. The first person to whom we should turn in our trouble is God. The first complaint we should make should be in the form of a prayer. The reply may not be given immediately. The relief we need may not be granted at once. The thing that tries us may never be removed and taken away. But the mere act of pouring out our hearts, and unbosoming ourselves at a throne of grace will do us good. The advice of James is wise and weighty: “Is any afflicted? Let him pray.” (James 5:13)

Let us mark, in the third place, what a striking example our Lord gives us of submission of will to the will of God. Deeply as His human nature felt the pressure of a world’s guilt, He still prays that, “if it were possible,” the hour might pass from Him. “Take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

We can imagine no higher degree of perfection than that which is here set before us. To take patiently whatever God sends,–to like nothing but what God likes,–to wish nothing but what God approves,–to prefer pain, if it pleases God to send it; to ease, if God does not think fit to bestow it,–to lie passive under God’s hand, and know no will but His,–this is the highest standard at which we can aim, and of this our Lord’s conduct in Gethsemane is a perfect pattern.

Let us strive and labour to have “the mind that was in Christ” in this matter. Let us daily pray and endeavour to be enabled to mortify our self-will.–It is for our happiness to do so. Nothing brings us so much misery on earth as having our own way.–It is the best proof of real grace to do so. Knowledge, and gifts, and convictions, and feelings, and wishes, are all very uncertain evidences. They are often to be found in unconverted persons. But a continually increasing disposition to submit our own wills to the will of God, is a far more healthy symptom. It is a sign that we are really “growing in grace, and in the knowledge of
Jesus Christ.”

Let us mark, lastly, in these verses, how much infirmity may be found even in the best Christians. We have a painful illustration of this truth in the conduct of Peter, James, and John. They slept when they ought to have watched and prayed. Though invited by our Lord to watch with Him, they slept. Though warned a short time before that danger was at hand, and their faith likely to fail, they slept. Though fresh from the Lord’s table, with all its touching solemnities, they slept. Never was there a more striking proof that the best of men are but men, and that, so long as saints are in the body, they are compassed with infirmity.

These things are written for our learning. Let us take heed that they are not written in vain. Let us ever be on our guard against the slothful, indolent, lazy spirit in religion, which is natural to us all, and specially in the matter of our private prayers. When we feel that spirit creeping over us, let us remember Peter, James, and John in the garden, and take care.

The solemn counsel which our Lord addresses to His disciples should often ring in our ears: “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” It should be the Christian’s daily motto from the time of his conversion to the hour of his death.

Are we true Christians? and would we keep our souls awake? Let us not forget that we have within us a double nature,–a ready “spirit” and weak “flesh,”–a carnal nature inclined to evil, and a spiritual nature inclined to good. These two are contrary one to the other. (Gal. 5:17) Sin and the devil will always find helpers in our hearts. If we do not crucify and rule over the flesh, it will often rule over us and bring us to shame.

Are we true Christians, and would we keep our souls awake? Then let us never forget to “watch and pray.” We must watch like soldiers,–we are upon enemy’s ground. We must always be on our guard. We must fight a daily fight, and war a daily warfare. The Christian’s rest is yet to come.–We must pray without ceasing, regularly, habitually, carefully, and at stated times. We must pray as well as watch, and watch as well as pray. Watching without praying is self-confidence and self-conceit. Praying without watching is enthusiasm and fanaticism. The man who knows his own weakness, and knowing it both watches and prays, is the man that will be held up and not allowed to fall.