In The Garden Alone?

“Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?’” — Matthew 26:40, NKJV

Jesus asked Peter, “Could you not watch with Me for one hour?

Were the disciples impatient, in a hurry, and ready to go?

Were they rushing Jesus?

No.

They were sleepy.

Jesus was alone in the garden, yet He wasn’t alone.

He was alone in the sense that Peter and the Disciples were not there to support and pray with Him. And He was not alone because they were there in a physical sense.

Have you ever been with a group of people but felt you were alone? Conversations were taking place all around you, but no one talked to you. No one was even looking at you or paying attention to you.

It can be a lonely feeling.

I can imagine Jesus felt the same way. Peter and the Disciples had lost sight of Jesus — meaning their focus was not on Him. They were more concerned about their physical needs than they were about His spiritual needs.

Peter told Jesus that he would never leave Him, and yet, when Jesus needed him the most, Peter left Him hanging.

Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”

What is it that people say? — “Never say never.”

Maybe Peter should have said, “Well, I’ll never say never, but I’m certainly not planning to leave You, Jesus!”

Just a thought.

Jesus wasn’t asking the Disciples to watch and pray with Him so that He would have company. No. He knew temptation was lying ahead, and the only way the Disciples would be able to overcome it would be with prayer and staying alert.

So, He instructed them, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” (Matthew 26:41, NKJV)

To overcome temptation, one must stay alert and pray. This means being aware of the possibility, the subtleness of the approach, and having the courage to fight.

The temptation was subtle and cunning in the Garden of Eden. It found its way into paradise and caught Eve unaware.

Another tactic of temptation is that it comes during our weakest moments. And without prayer, it is hard to resist. However, if we consistently avail ourselves to pray, our line of defense, along with the grace of God, will be greater.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV)

Join me next week for Coffee on The Couch.