The Washington herald., 1914-10-17


things are possible unto thee: remove
this cup from me: howbeit not what
will. but what thou wilt.
go And he cometh, and fndeth them
sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon.
sieepest thou? couldest thou not watch
one hour?
CsO Watch and pray. that ye enter
not into temptation: the spirit indeed h
willing, but the flesh ID weak.
(sD And again he went away, and
prayed, saying the same words.
(t0 And again he came. and found
them sleeping. for their eyes were very
heavy and they wist not what TO answer
him.
(GD And he cometh the third time. and
saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take
your rest: IL is enough; the hour II come;
behold. the Son Of man II betrayed into
the hands OF sinners.
(n) Arise, let Us be going; behold, he
that betrayeth me IL at hand
The Narrative.
After the singing of the Hallel the
Lord and His disciples went out from
tbs upper room. Mark gives no detailed
account Of the dIscourses delivered there.
or OF the events following. In one brief
paragraph-to which We shall return In
another connection-he tells how Jesus
repeated His warning that He was about
to be smitten. and they scattered: and
records His words to Peter about his de-
NAL -
Our lesson takes US into the garden of
Gethsemane. The narrative must ever NIL
the soul with a sense Of reyerent awe.
Somewhere at the entrance Of the gar
den He left eight Of His disciples behind.
taking three only further on Having
thus left behind Him all but these three,
He resolutely entered into the profound
darkness, and We read that He was
amazed and sore troubled; and moreover,
and most wonderful. that He told them
Of His experience.
After having done 80. He left these
three men, and going still further into
the garden. He was alone. Then follows
the account OF His prayer and His tri-
umph: the prayer which helps US TO
understand something at least OF His
suffering. and His triumph which gives
Us q vision OF His coming glory. Rev
erently let IL be said that We can under
stand the prayer far better than the tri-
umph. The amazing thing. the awe-in-
donment of Himself. even in such q
time. to the will OF His father.
Returning TO the three, He found them
sleeping. and knowing all that lay ahead
OF Peter. He addressed Himself to him
In terms of tender rebuke As He said,
Simon, sleepest thou? couldest thou not
watch one hour?' And tnen addressing
the three, He said. watch, and pray
that ye enter not into temptation: the
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak"
Again He passed into loneliness, and |
prayer and triumph were repeated. Re-
turning to them He found them still !
heavy with sleep. and not knowing what |
to say to Him. For the third time He |
left them. and then returning command |
ed them to sleep on and take their rest. |
The next words in the narrative are those |
in which He said. 1T il enough" There |
can be no doubt that between the per
mission to sleep and the declaration 1T !
Is enough" there was an interynl during |
which He. In wakeful loneliness, watch |
ed while these men slept At last He !
reused them. knowing that His enemies
were at hand.
The Teaching.
The value Of this story Is that Of the |
effect which II must ever produce upon |
US. There are senses in which II has
to say to US, because II is the
record Of experiences in the life OF the
Lord which in the very natuPe Of the |
case were peculiar to Himself All We
can do IL TO stand in awe, and watch.
Here the Saviour is seen In the yesti-
buls Of the holy Of holies, standing on
the margin OF that profound passion bap-
tism towards which He had been reso-
lutely moving through all the years OF
His ministry. The more often We read
the story the greater becomes our won
der in the presence Of the unutterable
and fathomless sorrows Of His soul No
less amazing is the strength OF His devo-
ton to redeeming purpose as. while thus
filled with a sense OF all that TO which
He was passing. He never faltered for
one moment in cooperation with the
will of God.
And yet once again, We are filled with
reverence in the presence of the
marvel OF His patience with these men.
Perhaps as a revelation OF His patience. 1
there is nothing in the whole Biblical
record to surpass the picture Of Him
waiting while they slept. Surely the
words of the psalmist,
"'LIks a. a father pitieth his children
So the Lord pi;ieth them that fear Hin.
For He knoWeth frame;
He rsmembsrrth that dust Il
never found SO wonderful an exposition
IS in this hour, when conscious Of His
own approaching passion, the Lord was
conscious also OF the terrific strain which
the coming hours would bring to these
men; and so halted on the pathway OF
His sorrows to give them time for re-
pose.
As we look at the disciples We dare not
utter one word Of criticism, but We are
impressed with their privi-
eEe, and with their frailty. Nor then
lid they understand either the one or
he other; but in the years that remained
70 them Of pilgrimage and Of witness,
lfter He had departed, We can well i'm
lKtne how constantly and with what
ldorinK reverence they would remember ,
.hese hours spent with their God and
saviour. when He took them so far with
Him along the highway Of His redeeming
II
The Golden Text,
In these words of Jesus, spoken to
hem after the first period OF His prayer
md triumph, we find His altogether ten
ler and compassionate recognition Of
heir weakness and Of their strength as I
he said, The spirit indeed is. willing.
,ut the flesh Is weak" When we read !
hese words spoken by Him, our criticism I
Il them must be silenced. for He knew {
III the truth concerning them. We are
'ver thankful for the words, because
We also know something OF hours in :
which, in the deepest OF US. We desire
fellowship with Him. and yet fail. Let
Is then. carefully observe and obey His
ajunction, which may thus be rendered.
Keep awake, and pray that ye enter
lot into temptation" This injunction
Id not mean that by watching and
rayer we should be saved from 'tempta-
ion. but that II is our duty to watch. '
nd, In harmony with the teaching given {
n the Manifesto and the pattern prayer {