We are taught that Jesus is divine and human; we have seen this in scripture, especially throughout the Sunday Gospels in Lent. In
the agony in the garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus’ humanity; he is like us. He is in great distress; he feels alone. He asks his friends to stay with him and pray but returns to find them sleeping. He might not be aware of what exactly awaits him, but he knows what is coming will bring great suffering, hence his pleading with his Father to let him pass this possible suffering. He pleads three times with God, and in all three, he ends his plea by telling his Father, “let your will be
done”.
We can learn a few things from Jesus’s experience of agony. The first is that Jesus, though in distress, constantly communicates with his Father. This
encourages us to pray without ceasing as Jesus did. And we know we do not only pray for things to change or suit us but, if it is our Father’s will, to pray for courage and strength to face the suffering. The second is that prayer is essential. We belong to faith communities or have friendships that lead us to God and on whom we have relied to help to overcome pain and challenges. However, we will sometimes face suffering alone for different reasons and will depend on prayer to get us
through.
Jesus had the power to change or stop his suffering, he is, after all, the second person in the Holy Trinity, and we know the many miracles he
performed, but he did not attempt to change the suffering and pain he endured. Jesus is selfless and focused on the mission. We learn, too, that having the power to change the situation does not mean you are to use that power. We are invited to discern the reasons we want to use power; it should always be for the greater glory of God, as we have witnessed with Jesus.
What else are you invited to learn from the experience of Jesus in Gethsemane?
