Crumbs 140 Asleep
Scripture Mark 14:37-42 World English Bible
37 He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”39 Again he went away, and prayed, saying the same words. 40 Again he returned, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they didn’t know what to answer him. 41 He came the third time, and said to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Arise! Let’s get going. Behold: he who betrays me is at hand.”
Crumbs
The
situation
Jesus
faces is horrible beyond our imagining. Christ
added
His
own comments
as
these events. His words contain truths we must absorb
There
are three events
here that
struck me.
1. Jesus discovers His disciples asleep. In this awful situation condemned Jesus sought company in Simon. Simon had great ambitions to help but proved incapable of fulfilling them. Jesus notes how his aspirations are beyond his abilities
2,. Jesus notes the frailty of His disciples. Jesus returns a second time and notes that they still sleep. In this passage we learn that Christ is aware of our weaknesses and limitations.
3, Jesus prepares for His betrayal The drama of the death of Christ continues as God intended. Christ’s enemies think that they are in control but this narrative reveals how the death was according to God’s will. Christ could have fled or defeated his enemies but He accepts the will of His father. God’s will becomes inevitable and Christ faces it. This was a great example of how to face suffering. These sufferings were on our behalf.
What does the live of an alert Christian look like ?
How do we deal with the clash between the spirit and the flesh ?
3. What do we learn from Christ's dealing with unpleasant reality ?
