Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus came, “unto a place called Gethsemane, and said unto the disciples, Sit you here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then said he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry you here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will. And he came unto the disciples, and finds them asleep, and said unto Peter, What, could you not watch with me one hour?”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse forty-one of his book, Matthew writes how Jesus told His disciples, “Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation” where we read:
Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
The verse reads, “Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation:” Matthew began word, “watch” which means “give strict attention to, be cautious and actively vigilant” “and pray” or “and supplicate, worship and pray earnestly”, “that you enter not” which means “so you do not go or come” “into temptation” or “into experiment, attempt, trial and proving of fidelity, integrity, virtue and constancy”. Matthew shared how Jesus charged His disciples to “be alert and pray earnestly” so they would not “come into” a time of “proving of fidelity and integrity”.
The verse continues, “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew added the words, “the spirit” which means “the simple essence, devoid of all grosser matter, and possesses of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting” “indeed is willing” or “also and even so is predisposed and ready”, “but the flesh” which means “nevertheless, however, moreover and the mere human nature or earthly nature of man apart from divine influence and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God” “is weak” or “exists as one with an infirmity, feeble, impotent, sick and without strength”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “spirit nature” within is “willing” to do what God desires, however, the “flesh nature” is not.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see Jesus once again instructing His disciples to “give strict attention” to what it going on around them and to “pray” to God, because though their “spirits” might be willing to do as God instructs, they have their “flesh” nature opposed to obeying Him. God knows our “spirit” and He knows our “flesh”, and though a person may believe they have the ability and strength to “obey” Him, their “flesh” often fails. Even Jesus wrestled with His humanity and divinity in this struggle as He considered the cost of going to the cross. God loves people, and His desire is to have them rely upon Him for their “salvation” and strength. When a person submits to Jesus Christ and forsakes dependence upon themselves to be obedient to God, they put aside “sleeping” and position themselves with the greatest strength they shall ever know.
Next time Matthew shares how Jesus, “went away again the second time, and prayed”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
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Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
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