Stay with me: Matthew 26.36–46 (Day 197)

Pray

Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.

Read

Joshua 23 Acts 3 Jeremiah 12 Matthew 26

Daily reflection: Matthew 26

After the ‘Little Apocalypse’ of chapters 24 and 25, Matthew’s story rushes headlong into the final days of Jesus’ life. There’s a succession of incidents and encounters, each of which we could dwell on slowly and prayerfully. One of them is the night at Gethsemane, where ‘grief and anguish’ came over Jesus and he prayed to be spared his coming ordeal. It’s a profoundly moving story, and reminds us again of the mystery of the incarnation: here Jesus is deeply human, wracked with the anticipation of pain and abandonment but still committed to doing his Father’s will.

The disciples don’t come out of this story well. At the moment of his greatest need, Jesus has asked them to ‘Stay here and keep watch with me’ (verse 38). Instead, they sleep. We shouldn’t imagine they were careless or indifferent; real physical and emotional weariness can be overwhelming. Nevertheless, their slumber left Jesus alone.

There was nothing they could really do for him, practically speaking. But knowing they were awake, thinking of him and praying for him would have helped. Sometimes that’s all we can do for someone; even if it’s very costly for us, it’s the price of friendship or duty, and it needs to be paid. Sometimes we’re called to enter deeply into another person’s suffering, just so they know they aren’t alone. And at a much more basic level, how often have we been faced with someone’s need and said, ‘I’ll pray for you’, and neglected to do it?

Pray

God, I’m sorry for the times I haven’t paid the price of friendship and loyalty: when I’ve let you down, or let other people down, and failed to watch with those who needed me. Forgive me and help me do better, I pray.