Friday, March 28, 2014
Matthew 26:40-41 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
DISCIPLES OF JESUS NEED TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE
In Gethsemane we see how the disciples conducted themselves. We see their faults and failings. For all of their promises that they would not betray Him or fall away, they couldn't even stay awake for Him. Jesus really was all alone, humanly speaking. In a sense they had already abandoned Him when three times He returned to find them asleep.
It's easy for us to criticize those first disciples. Yet if we are honest with ourselves we will see that we often fail because of a lack of watchfulness and prayer ourselves. We often fail because we are proud and full of ourselves. We fail because we are so sure that we are strong.
Jesus' disciples all had good intentions. They may have really wanted to comfort and support Jesus, but the flesh is weak, truly powerless.
We have good intentions. But our good intentions will never be enough. We may resolve to change our lives and promise to avoid sin, yet without Christ we will inevitably fail because we have corrupt sinful natures. We want -- by faith, according to the New Man -- to do the right thing; but apart from Christ we don't have the strength in us to do what is good. This isn't my opinion. The Lord Christ Himself said (John 15:5):
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
This is yet another good and spiritually practical reason to pray.
