No. 71, Lost in Temptation
/Stay awake and pray that you don't fall into temptation (time of testing); the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 22:46
Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane praying in anguish to prepare Himself for His crucifixion; He wants support from His friends. He needs it.
Sometimes commands are dictum, sometimes they are warnings. This one is a cry and a warning. There are times in each man’s life when it is very easy to be alive, to love God and to be at peace with the world. And there are times when we are holding on to life by twine over a deep canyon, and our hands are screaming in pain.
This is a somber Mark, a teetering Mark. To fall into its heart is to see ourselves at the mercy of a terrifying situation. This Mark tells us that we must (once again) pass a test that determines whether or not we trust God.
Testing times roll in like thick morning fog: temporary, but blinding. Lord help us to see without eyes.
To stay awake is to be hyper aware of the presence of God and His holy angels and the equally real presence of evil spirits hell-bent on damning us. To stay awake is to stand instead of caving to psychological death.
Jesus knew what was coming and He sweat drops of blood thinking about it and preparing Himself. It was His spirit that was willing and His flesh that was weak. He was smart enough to know the difference. Jesus knew that He had to stand through the terror of anticipation. This was the first worst moment of His powerful life.
We are lost in temptation, we miss this Mark, when we fall in and can’t climb out. This is why the Lord’s short prayer includes a plea that the Father not lead us there. Even then, sometimes the Father replies, “No, but trust Me.” We must stay awake hoping that our willing spirits can take up the slack of our weak flesh. With luck, friends may help, but don’t count on it.