Matthew 26:40,41
‘And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”’
This is an uncomfortable passage. I passed it up initially as I knew I couldn’t do any better. Part of my problem is my early years in the faith I knew little about grace. I may have stayed up with Jesus longer then. When I learned grace I relaxed in God. I knew I was forgiven, so I would sleep if I was sleepy.
Jesus is giving them a warning. They are about to be tempted. They didn’t sense it. The lure of sleep pulled them in too strongly. It’s difficult to resist the drive to sleep when we are weary. We have others drives that can be difficult to deny.
Suggestions of others are difficult to take seriously if we don’t sense what they are warning us about. As I’m writing this I’m thinking about most people and hell. Most don’t worry about it. It’s the here and now that concerns them. “If things are good how can things be bad?” I was there, also. I responded to God when I was at a youth group. I loved being there, a concert was playing and the pastor gave a message. He asked people to come forward. I really didn’t know what I was doing. In my mind he was asking, “If you want to be on God’s side come up.” I didn’t know it would be a new life walking with Him.
The bible has much to say. Much of it may not jump out at us. We are wise to heed its message. We should pray about it. “Lord, help me to do what it says. Right now I don’t feel much. Help me to obey.”
The disciples had no idea what was to befall them. They had their routine. This night felt no different. There was nothing to worry about. Except Jesus told them otherwise. He would refer to His death earlier, but it seemed out of the blue, so they didn’t inquire. However the past six months He brought it u more frequently. One time He brought it up and Peter attempted to talk Him out of it. He was rebuked him and called him Satan.
In John 16:12,13 Jesus addresses something that didn’t have an immediate relevance. “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” There would come a season for this message. At that time the Spirit will tell us and it will fit. Messages out of time are difficult to take seriously. We should and are still responsible for them. It’s just more difficult.
Lord, help us to heed Your Words.
