"Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners." Matthew 26:36-45
Here Jesus was, clearly troubled, hurting, and so overcome with sorrow. Jesus knows what's coming. He takes some of His friends with Him while He goes to pray. Yet three times, His friends fail Him. Three times they fall asleep while Jesus is on His knees praying, His heart filled with anguish.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to be like Jesus' friends here. I want to be the one friend who would have stood by Jesus, not being able to fully comprehend the struggles He was about to face, yet still encouraging Him. And I don't always know how to encourage people like that. Sometimes I feel like I fail miserably when attempting that. When my friends are struggling, I listen to them, I pray with them, and I constantly pray for them, but often times, I don't have the right words of advice to offer them. Often times all I can do is be there for them, cry with them, and let them know that they're not alone. Recently, I've been realizing that you don't always have to have the right words to say to encourage them--sometimes it's more meaningful if you're right there alongside them, crying with them, praying with them, and showing them how much you care. After all--actions speak louder than words.
Kayla Joy
