Gethsemane is the name by which the Garden of Olives is known, the place where Jesus retired to pray, accompanied by his disciples Peter, James and John, hours before being arrested. The meaning of “Gethsemane” in the Bible is “oil press”. In fact, the story of Gospel of Luke even reveals that the jesus prayer in the hport of Gethsemane It was so intense that: “(…) his sweat was like drops of blood that ran to the ground” (Luke 22:44).
We invite you to discover the story of gethsemaneither in the Gospel of Matthew to better understand the instruction that Jesus gives to his disciples: “watch and pray.”
Holy Week, a journey with Jesus
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Story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane according to the Gospel of Matthew
“36 When Jesus arrived with his disciples at a property called Gethsemane, he said to them, “Stay here, while I go there to pray.”
37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sad and distressed.
38 Then he said to them, “My soul feels the sadness of death. Stay here, watching with me.”
39 And going a little further, he fell with his face to the ground, praying thus: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass far from me, but not my will, but yours be done.”
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Jesus said to Peter, “Is it possible that you couldn’t stay awake with me, even for an hour?
41 Be on guard and pray that you do not fall into temptation, because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He turned away a second time and begged, “My father, if this cup cannot pass without me drinking it, your will be done.”
43 When he returned he found them sleeping again, because their eyes were closed from sleep.
44 Again he turned away from them and prayed a third time, repeating the same words.
45 Then he returned to his disciples and said to them, “Now you can sleep and rest: the hour has come when the Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of sinners.
46 Get up! Let’s go! The one who is going to deliver me is approaching.” (Matthew 26-36-46)
Lent: a journey with Jesus
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“Thy will be done”
Why was it so difficult for Jesus to pray that day? Jesus knew the will of God, but his soul had a hard time accepting it, because his emotions wanted to lead him to disobey God, taking into account that the will of the Father was to be crucified and take with him the sin of humanity. Imagine the weight Jesus felt upon receiving this mission, knowing that the fate of all humanity rested on his shoulders. On the other hand, this passage also shows us that Jesus could have rejected the suffering of the cross, since, like every man, God gave him free will, however, He accepted the will of God out of love for us and his Dad. In this way, Jesus shows us that, even if we feel fear or doubt before the will of God, we must confess it to the Lord and ask him to strengthen us to accept it, so that his designs are fulfilled in us.
Lent: a journey with Jesus
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watch and pray
Jesus gave these instructions to his disciples, realizing that they had fallen asleep instead of accompanying him to pray. He then explained to them why they should do it: “Be warned and pray not to fall into temptation, because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). This makes us understand that our flesh is sinful by nature, so it feels more attracted to sin. For this reason, Jesus explained to us that the only way to remain firm in the face of sin is to watch and pray. In this regard, Santiago said: “Submit to God; Resist the devil, and he will depart from you.” (James 4:7). Praying as Jesus did is not only prostrating before God, but recognizing that his will deserves to be fulfilled, and asking him for the grace to be able to accept it. Watching means being attentive to everything around us, because there are many situations that can make us fall. If we do this, Jesus assures us that we will have victory over whatever temptation the devil sends us.
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