MIDWEEK
LENT 2
March
12, 2025
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Mark 14:32-42
PLACES
OF THE PASSION
Gethsemane:
A Place of Temptation
As we follow our Lord Jesus in His
walk to the cross this Lenten season we are pausing at various places along the
way to worship and learn. Last week we paused in the Upper Room. Today we join
Jesus and His disciples as they leave the Upper Room and go to the Garden of
Gethsemane, a place of temptation. This is a picture of
what the Garden of Gethsemane looks like today. Pretty average. Filled
with olive trees. Nothing special about the garden, except what happened there
almost 2000 years ago.
Mark 14:32-42 “They
went to a place named Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I
pray.” 33 Then he took Peter, James, and John along
with him and began to be troubled and distressed. 34 He
said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, even to the point of death.
Stay here and keep watch.” 35 Going forward a little, he
fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass
from him. 36 He also said, “Abba, Father,
everything is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I
will, but what you will.”
The Gospel lesson for this past Sunday
included the Devil’s temptations of Jesus at the beginning of His public
ministry. Those were not the only times that the Devil tempted Jesus. That
account concluded with these words. “When the Devil
had finished every temptation, he left him until an opportune time.” This was one
of those opportune times. It’s Maundy Thursday, the night before Good Friday.
As true God, Jesus knows exactly what will happen to Him the next day. He will
be forsaken. He will make payment in full for the sins of the world. As true
man He dreads that and wishes there could be another way.
I have heard people say that bunion
surgery and recovery is extremely painful. In fact some have refused a second
surgery because of what they went through in the first. Knowing what it would
be like is too terrifying. Imagine the raw fear coursing through the heart of
our Savior Jesus as he stands at the precipice of making payment for the sins
of the world. He knows what the wages of sin really means: cut off from God and
His goodness, forsaken, despair. There is no way for us to begin to imagine the
agony and angst Jesus felt as He prepared Himself to face the cross. Certainly
the temptation was there to turn away from it.
But there was more temptation taking
place in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus’ disciples faced temptation too.
Jesus, their Lord, their Savior, had told them to keep watch. This is what
happened. “When
he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon,
are you sleeping? Were you not strong enough to keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch
and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the
flesh is weak.” 39 Again he went away and prayed, saying
the same thing. 40 When he returned, he found them
sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. They did not know what they should answer
him.”
You want to cut them a break. We have
all been there too. It is late at night. The day had been long. The Passover
meal filling. Staying away when you are just sitting there doing nothing is
hard. You want to cut them a break. How could they have known the gravity of
the situation? How could they understand how difficult this was for Jesus? You
want to cut them a break. But you can’t. What part of Jesus’ heartfelt command, His plea to his
friends of “Watch and pray” is difficult to understand? They did not need to
know how dire things were for Jesus. They were not supposed to be sitting there
doing nothing. They were to watch and pray. Even Peter, who had a short time
before this boasted that he would sooner die than disown Jesus, fell asleep.
“Watch and pray,” Jesus had said. But they ignored the heartfelt command from
their Savior and slept.
You want to cut those disciples a
break, you want to excuse their behavior. But you can’t. And just like there is
no excuse for the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, there is none for the
disciples gathered here today who pause at the Garden of Gethsemane. What part
of “Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God” is hard to understand? Yet “O
my” and God’s name comes flying out, not just from the pagans in America who
despise Him, but also from the mouths of those who are privileged to be called
the children of God. What part of “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy”
is hard to understand? Yet how often have the people of God chosen treat their
beds as holy by attending St. Mattress on a Sunday morning or remembered to
keep their sports events holy while having trouble remembering that at this
church there are worship opportunities on Saturday and Monday evenings as well
as Sunday morning. There is no excuse for failing to give our Lord the worship
due His name. For his disciples Jesus said, “The spirit is willing but the
flesh is weak.” Oh that he could say the same of us. Or might it have to be “The
flesh is weak and the spirit is unwilling.”
In the time of His temptation Jesus
turned to his Father. “Abba, Father.” He prayed to be spared from the cup of
punishment He would face. Yet He resisted this and every temptation by simply
trusting the will of God. For our temptations we turn to Jesus and say, “Thank
you, Jesus.” We understand that Jesus faced temptation because of us. Our need
for a Savior is desperate. Even when our spirit is willing, the weakness of our
flesh means we will not successfully resist temptation. So we rejoice that
Jesus was tempted for us. His perfect resisting of the temptations in the
Garden of Gethsemane is mine. It’s yours. He won it for us.
When Jesus finished fighting His
battle in the place of temptation we call the Garden of Gethsemane we are told, “He returned the third time and said to them, “Are you
going to continue sleeping and resting? It is enough. The hour has come. Look,
the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise,
let us go. Look, my betrayer is near.” On to the next place of His
passion for us. Thank you Jesus! Amen.
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