The Spirit is Willing but the Flesh is Weak
A. Jesus
1) Suffering through fear and grief (32-36a)
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
36 <"Abba>, [36] Father," he said, "everything is possible for you.
2) Desiring to do God's will (36b, 41b-42)
Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
B. The Disciples (37-41a)
37 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?
38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.
40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41 Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough!
1) They followed Jesus up to now
2) They were unable to win over their flesh when things became difficult
Summary
Jesus' fear and grief were not just about the things he was about to experience. He was weighed down with the fears and grief that all human beings experience. Jesus overcame the weakness of his flesh with his desire to do God's will. We are like the disciples in that we have similar weaknesses. We want to love others as Jesus would, but it is difficult to overcome our basic physical and emotional desires. Thankfully, Jesus never gives up on us, saying instead, "Rise! Let us go!"
For Discussion
1) What did Jesus fear?
2) What does "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" mean?