Artist unknown
Can you imagine the scene. You've got to the pinacle point of your life, you've taught your freinds so much, shared their grief and their joys, their highs and lows, healed their relatives and friends, shown them true enlightenment and love and now, just as you are facing the biggest, most horrific moment of your life, they all seem to be failing in their loyalty and friendship.
That's exactly the situation Jesus was in as he approached his human end. He knew who was to betray him, he'd even made a point of telling them all, and yet to his friends there was something unbelieveable about that possibility. "Surely not I" was Judas' response when confronted, and when the disciples are told "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written "I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered" Peter then replied, Even if all fal away, I will never" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, this very night before the cock cries you will denigh me three times" Peter and the other disciples said "I will never disown you"
And then we find Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. He's asked his friends to stay awake and to pray with him as he's troubled. t this stage Judas has slipped away to go and bring the Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus. The other disciples probably start off praying, but fall asleep. They are woken by Jesus, but again fall asleep and after that Jesus leaves them sleeping. How alone he must have felt. His cry to God to release him from the path he's on and the desperation he must have felt are byond human understanding. As the morning light starts. Jesus wakes his friends again knowing that Judas is on the way and that with in hours, Peter also will have dealt him another blow.
No comments:
Post a Comment