Evening star., 1925-02-14
Sunday School Lesson

Of Buddhism and Mehammedanism.
In the garden His sufferings were
pre-eminently mental and spiritual.
while upon Calvary they were .physi-
cal.
Before His PROSTATE body, CULVER
ing with anguish, fell upon the chilly
ground, Jesus told His chosen friends
that His soul" was exceeding sor-
rowfuI. even unto DEATH. He did not
fear the death upon the cross, but
there Is a strong probability that He
recognized that there was a danger
In his physical condition, that He
might die as a martyr in the garden
and not as the Savior Of men. Luke,
speaking as a physician, tells of the
agony and bloody sweat, which in
cases OF extreme anguish have been
tho immediate predioative of death.
The mental and spiritual experiences
through which He had Immediately
passed in the upper room had served
to deepen His sense of impending
catastrophe.
In that dark and trying hour Jesus
never doubted His Fathers love. His
trust in His Heavenly Father is seen
in the short and simple prayer that
was based upon Gods personality.
power and program. He recognized
that His request, Let this cup pass
from me-" might possibly not be the
best by expressing His absolute self
surrender. Nevertheless, not My will
but Thine be done In Hebrews we
learn that His prayer was answered.
and that He was saved from death
1t was not the death upon the cross
(that was never in His prayer), but
natural death, under the stress and
strain Of sorrow and temptation in
the Garden. An angel ministered
unto Him and strengthened the Lord
so that Satan did not conquer Him.
Jesus did not die until He willingly
gave up His spirit upon the cross.
In agonizing struggle, wrestling with
God in prayer, our Lord obtained the
victory that enabled Him to become
the worlds Savior.
While our High Priest returned in
triumph from the holy of holies, the
disciples, whose duty 1t was to watch
while He prayed for them and the
world, disappointed the Lord by sleep
ing. They were weary and tired, they
were sorrowful, too. but not with
such a sorrow that they could for
get 1t in sleep. even in the presence
OF the suffering Of their Master. His
words OF disappointment reveal that
He was surprised and hurt by their
failure to at least sympathize with
Him. as He had requested. He warn
ed them to be more wakeful, lest
being asleep they should be. over
taken with temptation. He did not
excuse them on account OF their
physical weakness, but He cited that
as a reason why they should be
watchful and wakeful. He found
them asleep at the end Of the second
watch and the third. Returning the
second time. He aroused them and
IN IN n
criticism Condemnation OF their
failure. When He returned the third
time the battle had been won and
His prayer had been answered. He
urges them to sleep on so that they
would possess physical strength when
the hour of trial required 1t.
The victory of Christ stands forth
in marked contrast with the defeat OF
Peter. James and John, as well as
Judas. who drew near TO betray his
Lord. They failed through disobedi-
ence. We all are called upon to face
| Gethsemane OF trial. that can be
as triumphant as our Lords, II we
| follow Him. Jesus committed the is
| sues into the hands and trusted the
| will of God. Throughout the ages o!
Christian history the battle of the
upward and downward tug, the self in
| US as opposed to the will Of God. has
always been won by the dedication OF
| self.surrendered lives to the service
| of God and man. Lincoln, Lee, Wash
ington and Susan B. Anthony had
| their days of trial. Each Of them
won the right to q place In America
hall of fame by life of self-forget.
fulness, devoted to the welfare OF
| their fellows and the glory of God
| Let us not despair In the hours OF
\ sorrow. struggle and sacrifice. Wher
all human help fails, the way for
victory is open for us, II we win turn
in prayer for guidance to the Lord
who never fails His people in the
hour Of their trials Success always
awaits surrenderea life, given to
God for His glory and the service
Of humanity.