Luke 22:39-46 (NRSV)
Jesus prays for life
He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not come into the time of trial." Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done." Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial."
He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not come into the time of trial." Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done." Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial."
Luke is much more gentle on the disciples than Mark is. Here, the disciples are sleeping because of grief rather than their simply their ongoing inability to do as Jesus asks. I can identify with them here. I can think of lots of times that I knew something bad was coming, and all I wanted to do was get into bed and pull the covers over my head and sleep.
Everything about this passage evokes not just strong emotion, but raw desperation and anguish. It's visceral in its description of Jesus' agony. In Luke we've followed Jesus in his strength - he always has inner resources that push his mission onward. But here, those resources seems tapped out. It's an angel who ultimately gives him the support he needs to go on.
"Yet, not my will but yours be done." We pray that frequently. There have been those times when in my own grief, those are the only words from the Lord's Prayer that seem to come to me. I hang onto them and I know part of that reason is that I know Jesus hung onto those words as well. I trust in that when I find it hard to trust in most anything else.
God's will is something we often use as a cliche when something bad happens. "Well, it was God's will." That isn't what's happening here.
Instead, in those moments of pain and grief and sorrow, praying for God's will to be done in my life has been a source of strength. Not because God wills the pain, but because the pain - the valley of the shadow - must be gone through. We can't pull the covers over our eyes. But trusting that God wills for us healing and hope and love can give us the strength we need to face whatever comes next.
Healing, compassionate God: You are with us. Help us to remember that in times of sorrow, pain, illness and anguish. Help us to remember your will for us to have strength in you to face whatever comes ahead. Amen
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