Jesus' Admonition in Gethsemane

“He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’” (Matthew 26:40-41).

The need for spiritual vigilance by Christians is constant, but it can’t be achieved in the power of the flesh.

Jesus must have been terribly disappointed in the Garden of Gethsemane when He found the three disciples sleeping. As He labored diligently in prayer before the Father, Peter, James, and John began their desertion of Jesus. They could not even stay awake and offer Him support during His time of greatest need.

Given all that was happening, the Lord’s question, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?” was not a harsh rebuke. In the spirit of a mentor, Jesus exhorted the three about their need for divine help: “Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation.”

The phrase “keep watching and praying” indicates that all believers must have vigilance. Jesus wants all of us to anticipate temptation and seek God’s help to resist the adversary, just as He did during His vigilant prayer in the Garden.

Our own best efforts to overcome Satan will certainly fail. The only way to deal with the Devil is to flee immediately from him into God’s presence and prayerfully leave matters with Him.

But even when we know and seek to practice what Jesus told the disciples, it is often difficult to do what is right. Jesus saw His three dearest friends’ reaction and was in the midst of His own spiritual struggle, so He acknowledged, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The apostle Paul also knew the spiritual battle was real and very difficult (Rom. 7:15-23). But Paul was confident, too, that the only source of victory in our most intimidating spiritual challenges is obedience to the power of Jesus Christ: “Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (vv. 24-25).

Ask the Lord’s forgiveness for any recent times when you have failed to be alert and diligent when praying.

What is the first key to spiritual success? Why must we be alert for Satan? What makes faithfulness in suffering worthwhile?

Christ’s Sleeping Friends
by Robert Southwell (1561-1595)

When Christ, with care and pangs of death oppressed,
From frighted flesh a bloody sweat did rain,
And, full of fear, without repose or rest,
In agony did pray and watch in pain;
Those sundry times He His disciples finds,
With heavy eyes, but far more heavy minds.

With mild rebuke He warnèd them to wake,
Yet sleep did still their drowsy senses hold,
As when the sun the brightest show doth make,
In darkest shrouds the night-birds them enfold:
His foes did watch to work their cruel spite,
His drowsy friends slept in His hardest plight.

As Jonas sailèd once from Joppa’s shore,
A boisterous tempest in the air did broil,
The waves did rage, the thund’ring heavens did roar,
The storms, the rocks, the lightnings threatened spoil;
The ship was billows’ game and chance’s prey,
Yet careless Jonas mute and sleeping lay.

So now, though Judas, like a blust’ring gust,
Do stir the furious sea of Jewish ire,
Though storming troops, in quarrels most unjust,
Against the bark of all our bliss conspire,
Yet these disciples sleeping lie secure,
As though their wonted calm did still endure.

So Jonas once, his weary limbs to rest,
Did shroud himself in pleasant ivy shade,
But lo! While him a heavy sleep oppressed,
His shadowy bow’r to withered stalk did fade;
A cankered worm had gnawn the root away
And brought the glorious branches to decay.

O gracious plant! O tree of heav’nly spring!
The paragon for leaf, for fruit and flower,
How sweet a shadow did thy branches bring
To shroud these souls that chose thee for their bower!
But now while they with Jonas fall asleep,
To spoil their plant an envious worm doth creep.

Awake, ye slumb’ring wights! Lift up your eyes,
Mark Judas, how to tear your root he strives;
Alas! The glory of your arbour dies,
Arise and guard the comfort of your lives;
No Jonas’ ivy, no Zacheus’ tree,
Were to the world so great a loss as He.

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