An Earnest Plea

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Luke 22:42

The life of Christ was a life of prayer. We find that Christ was in constant communion with His Father and embodied the statement, ‘pray without ceasing.’ Having said that, we find that He drew apart for particular seasons of prayer, especially before great endeavors such as the calling of the disciples and walking upon the water. Our text brings us to consider His prayer time in the Garden of Gethsemane, before His Passion. As we considered yesterday, Christ here reflects what we may describe as, truly human emotion. Let us consider today the earnest plea that He utters, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from me.’ We cannot credit the idea that He was in any way, seeking to avoid the suffering of the cross or even the pain leading up to it. We considered, as a possibility, that desire which He had to not endure utter abandonment by His disciples and the accompanying isolation. What we see here is His earnest plea about something personally painful to Him; asking His Father that He not have to endure it. His pattern of prayer serves as a template for our own praying. We may be facing things that we would rather not have to endure. It is entirely appropriate for us to bring these requests to Our Father, praying that if it be possible that we not have to endure them. We cannot know ahead of time what the will of the Father is, or how He will answer. We can but ask, according to His will, knowing that whatever His answer is, it will be for our good, and for His Glory. Today, Child of God, imitate your Savior. Ask away, and see what God will do.

Our Gracious and Prayer-hearing God,
we bring before Your Eternal Throne,
all these things which pain us most.
We pray that You will hear and answer every one,
according to the counsel of Your Sovereign Will.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Truly Human Emotion

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Luke 22:42

Christ is very God of very God. He is also truly human. It is important for us to bear these two things in mind, especially as we view His sufferings. As we see Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, which is the location where He uttered our text for today, we hear Him speak words which may sound strange to our ears, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me….” What are we to make of this? Was Christ seeking to avoid the suffering and the cross? That cannot be, for He had steadfastly purposed to arrive in Jerusalem at just this time. His whole life and ministry was to accomplish the fulfillment of the Law, both in precept and in penalty. Of what then is He speaking when He says, ‘Father if it is your will, take this cup away from me?’ I submit to you, as a possibility, that Christ was here demonstrating His truly human emotion of desiring not to have all of His disciples abandon Him. The weakness of His disciples was clearly a matter of some distress to Him. He warned them in verse 40, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” He expostulated with them in verse 46, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” In Matthew 26:40, He addresses to Peter the question, ‘What, could you not watch with me one hour?’  Christ demonstrated this truly human emotion of desiring that these, nearest and dearest to Him not forsake Him in this most trying hour. In this, Christ shows us that He is a most Empathetic Savior. He understands how we feel. His true humanity emerges. Perhaps today you are feeling very isolated, alone, and abandoned. Christ understands.   By virtue of what Christ, Himself faced, He is able to walk with us through whatever we ourselves face.

Our utterly Sympathetic Savior,
we praise You, that You know, first hand,
all that we face.
We thank you, that You embrace us with Your loving arms,
to carry us through every trial.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning