Mark 14:27-42
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, the hour might pass from him.
“Abba,[f] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
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? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
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. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
At the bottom of the Mount of Olives, there is a church built beside a beautiful garden filled with olives trees. It’s called the Church of the Agony. History proves to us that the location of the garden is correct because that’s where the city olive press was during the 1st century, and in Hebrew Gethsemane means Olive Press. So, the church is built on the grounds of the olive grove connected to Jerusalem’s Gethsemane. It was those grounds that Jesus went to pray before he was arrested.
The first picture is of the Church from the Mt. of Olives. Is the Olive Grove that was next to the city’s Olive Press. Picture 3 is the Crown of Thorns altar – this is the actual bedrock from the area where Jesus will have prayed.
In our Scripture focus today, Jesus has come to the garden to pray. He says to his best friends, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He knew that weight of what the next 24 hours held for him and his time here on earth. Surely, he knew that part of the agony was that he would experience God’s silent response to his cries from the Cross. But during the prayer time, Jesus knew the value of having friends near when going through times of great sorrow.
If you’ve ever walked through a crisis, or through the dark days after the death of a loved one, you’ll know how valuable the support of others can be. I remember the days after my mom’s death. It was the hardest season I’ve ever had to walk through. But, in that hardness we were reminded of just how beautiful the Body of Christ can be.
Every congregation my dad served in his ministry was represented. People supported him. We had friends and folks from our congregation praying for all of us, and some came to just be supportive during those days. It really was incredible and made such a difference in the cloud of grief we were experiencing. It was a valuable lesson in being supportive and in how to care for others.
We can learn 2 things from this encounter and Jesus’ request:
1 – Don’t hesitate to ask for your friends support when you are in crisis. It’s not a sign of weakness, but a flare in the dark for help as you walk through these moments.
2 – Be that friend. The request for your company may not be convenient or even comfortable, but it takes courage to even ask, so honour that. Your presence will be calming, your help can make the burden lighter. Offer to pray with them, or just sit quietly if that’s what they need. It’s hard, but silence can be comforting and healing.
Ask God for courage to be in either role, to be able to ask for help or to respond when you are needed.
Joyfully Yours 