Looking up to Jesus's sufferings: Garden of Gethsemane



Matthew 26:36-46

New International Version (NIV)

Gethsemane

"36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
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!"

Looking up to Jesus brings salvation to the human spirit, body, and soul. The human existence and related situations and struggles can be identified in Jesus life and suffering. Knowing his life and suffering and looking up to Him in the human circumstances bring great consolation to human. Looking up to Jesus in His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane,could bring answer and consolation to the suffering soul.

When we think we are suffering, it is imperative to looking up to Jesus and His sufferings. When, green tree, salvation tree, Son of God, Second person of Holy Trinity, himself has to undergo sufferings in human life, then suffering is not new to us who are just endowed with human attributes in earthly conditions. Suffering is inbuilt in Human sinful nature. When Son of God Himself, who has no sin in Him, has to undergo sufferings in human nature, how much more it is common for human to undergo sufferings in human life. One thing is certain that suffering is a hall mark of human life, during the pilgrimage towards eternal life. But we are not left alone in the sufferings. Looking up to Jesus in human life conditions and situations brings consolation through grace and merciful presence of God.

 Garden of Gethsemane is a place or some of our human situations. In this garden, Jesus was surrounded by the serine nature, trees, hills,and creations. He was with His discipleship with Him. Still Jesus was troubled, sorrowful,

  and suffered loneliness to the extreme. And He said," 

 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

 The word of God, Son of God, in human nature, he was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He was afraid, He was lonely, He was helpless, He underwent the hopelessness, He experienced being cornered left with no use of escape, He was under the fear of rejection, humiliation, pain, and sufferings, He was in a point where He was troubled and may be questioning himself, purpose, mission, and journey, He was challenged in His will to analyze the options and choices laid in front of Him. He verbalized His fear and trouble to the disciples and asked them to keep watch with Him. Thus He did seek the human help, as we do in our life situations. But He did not stop there, He went further to pray to the Heavenly Father, and He said,

  “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Looking up to Jesus, we learn that, if Son of God, in His sufferings sought prayers from His friends and He subjected Himself in prayer as the solution, It is our belief that Jesus serves as our role model that in times of troubles and temptations, being united with the Apostolic Church( represented by disciples in the Gethsemane), and Heavenly Father in prayer is the key to know the will of God.

 Looking up to Jesus brings grace and mercy to the situations. It is an act of subjecting out times to the will of God in prayers, thanksgiving, and supplications. This action brings humbleness to the human will and let the divine will prevail, which opens the ways for the gifts and fruits of Holy Spirit to flow through human life and sufferings, which brings salvation to oneself and others. Surely mercy and goodness to protect us through the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as we look up to Him. By this we are able to unit our sufferings in partaking with Jesus's sufferings.

 Jesus We trust in you!

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