Mark 14:37-42 (NIV)
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
The disciples had heard Jesus’ words at the dinner about being betrayed, but they had no idea what that would look like. They heard the urgency in His voice as He taught them, but they had no idea that this was the night when it would all come down. So when Jesus went off to pray near their campsite, they did not pick up on the fact that their own time of testing was right around the corner. Even when Peter, James, and John were called to go further with Him, and told about the sorrow and agony that His heart was going through, they were blind to the fact that the betrayer was already on the way, leading a group of armed men to arrest Jesus.
And so their souls were not on the alert. Their bodies were fatigued, and Jesus’ warning to “keep watch” found no resting place in their minds. As Jesus agonized with the Father over the terrible things that were already afoot, that would be revealing themselves in moments, the disciples fell asleep.
Jesus’ rebuke was much gentler than it could have been. Even in the depth of His sorrow, He still loved these clueless men. His exasperated instruction, urging Peter to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” was an attempt to clue them all in, Peter especially, that this was a dangerous moment. Peter had sworn only a couple of hours before, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You.” (Mark 14:31), but Jesus understood that though the spirit was willing to die with Him, the body was weak. In the moment when he would have to choose, Peter’s flesh was going to have the upper hand, because his spirit, though willing, was not on the alert, and was not fortified with prayer.
The disciples were ashamed and embarrassed that they were so weak, that they had fallen asleep, not once, but three times, while Jesus was praying in such distress. But after He woke them the third time, it was too late to pray. The time when preparation could be done had passed. Now, whether they were ready or not, the moment was upon them.
We human beings are, by nature, short sighted, much like the sheep that Jesus compared us to. All too often we shrink at shadows in the dark, but utterly fail to see and understand the real spiritual dangers until they are upon us. Jesus could see the danger coming because of His intimate connection with the Father. He was in communion with God, ever listening to His voice, always immediately responsive to His every leading. Nothing took Him by surprise. When His betrayer came, He was prayed up. He was on task. He was ready.
Father, I can absolutely relate to the disciples more than to Jesus on this point. I really am short-sighted when it comes to being able to see what lies ahead. And I can also clearly understand that the reason behind that short-sightedness is primarily that I spend much more time with my focus on the physical realm than on the spiritual. I measure my prayer time with You in minutes, or even moments, and let my mind be taken up with worldly affairs for the hours that are left of each day. No wonder things take me by surprise!
Father, help me to keep my communion with You open at all times. Help me, as Paul urged, to pray continually (2 Thessalonians 5:17), to listen carefully to Your voice in every situation, and to never be caught sleeping when I should be watching and praying. Amen.