In the midst of distress with the cross before Him where the wrath of God would be poured out upon Him for our sin. Where He would be separated from God the Father. Where the stress was so great it says, “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”-(Luke 22:44).
He finds His disciples asleep . But in reading again I noticed the reason why they slept. Jesus testified it was because ,”When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, EXHAUSTED FROM SORROW.”- in verse 45. They were “EXHAUSTED FROM SORROW.”
His response was, “Why are you sleeping?” He asked them. “Get up and pray SO THAT you will not fall into temptation.”-
(v46-47). He told them to GET UP… PRAY… why? “SO THAT” here is the reason “… YOU WILL NOT FALL INTO TEMPTATION.”
Their sorrow caused exhaustion. And opened them up to the possibility to fall into temptation. Jesus could see what the answer to their need was…Pray. Why? So that they would not fall into temptation . Excessive sorrow can be a gateway to fall intotemptation. The answer is PRAY! Jesus in Luke 18:1 said to the disciples to “Pray lest you faint!” Or as one translation say pray “Less you lose heart” -To become discouraged. Prayer is the antidote to becoming discouraged and to falling into temptation!
As it was for them so too for us …Sorrow can exhaust us and expose us to temptation. The answer is to PRAY lest we “Fall into temptation.”
May He strengthen your mind and heart in times of sorrow to turn to Him, in dependence upon Him through obeying His revealed will in His Word- PRAY!