The New Covenant
Grace Extended Even in the Greatest Hour of Need Written By: Deanna Ellis
Matthew 26:40-46
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Jesus tells Peter, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” This was Jesus’ great hour of need. The stress was so great that He sweat great drops of blood (Luke 22:44), yet His closest friends could not stay awake?
Let’s take a step back to remember the words of Peter, and James and John prior to this event. James and John, a week earlier, had asked Jesus to sit at His right hand once He came into His kingdom. Jesus responded with a question: “Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” (Mark 10:38), to which they both naively responded with a hearty “Yes!” And Peter, just that evening had promised Jesus that he would follow Him even if it meant his (Peter’s) death. Yet, here were all three sleeping, unable to stay awake and pray during Jesus’ great time of need.
How easy it is to criticize Peter, James, and John for their inattentiveness, but it’s possible, that their sleeping was simply a physical response to the stress of the day. Not only that, but Jesus, full of grace and mercy, even at his most needy hour, realized their physical limitations: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
In the article, “Why Some People Respond to Stress by Falling Asleep, Theo Harrison reports “All memories are initially stored in our brain’s short-term storage so that these can be easily accessed, processed, and, if necessary, replaced to make space for new and important memories. However, when a memory generates too many emotions, it requires a lot of space to get processed. This can overburden the storage capacity of our brain. Dr. Rebecca Spencer, professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts explains ‘You can be driven to sleep simply by having a lot of emotional memories to process.’”
Were the disciples emotionally stressed? I would think so. Jesus had been telling them that he would soon be taken and crucified. Their feelings of helplessness and confusion, not to mention the physical exhaustion of not having slept, all added to their stress. Luke describes the disciples as exhausted from sorrow (Luke 22:45). Interestingly, Dr. Spencer also claims that sleep during a stressful event transfers memories from the short-term memory to the long-term memory. Is it possible that the disciples’ sleeping actually helped them later to remember and accurately write down their experiences?
Takeaways:
1. God uses ALL things for His glory. When I am weak, He is strong. When I am faithless, He is faithful, for he cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13).
2. God understands our frailties. Psalm 103 – It’s really good! You should read the whole thing!
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
3. I need to learn to both receive His grace and also to give it to others. Yes, I am born again in Christ Jesus, transformed, made new and am to walk by His Spirit so I do not gratify the deeds of my flesh, BUT I also live in a human body. Jesus, in his greatest hour of need, offered Peter, James, and John grace: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Jesus knew they wanted to support him but were physically challenged in their response. I need to remember my limitations and not beat myself up when I fall short of my own expectations. Yes, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but I need to make sure that those “all things” are things that the Holy Spirit has actually asked me to do. He gives me strength to walk the path He has prepared. I need to be sure I’m on the right path.
Finally, I need to learn to extend the same grace to others. How quick I can be to judge when I am disappointed with how someone responds or doesn’t respond to my needs. I must remember that Jesus is concerned with my heart, my response, and my willingness to let Him deal with those who disappoint me. I need to trust Him and remember that for those who love God (me!) all things work together for (my) good, because I have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
