Prelude Lessons from the Garden: “Asleep Again”

The example of the Lord Jesus as He prepared to deal it the ordeal of “the Cross” serves as a model pattern for us plainly illustrating how we too should be prepared to deal with the impending hardships and challenges we destined to face our own arenas of spiritual service.

As did He, so are we to pray earnestly petitioning heaven for supernatural endowments to enable us to handle the spiritual opposition that will enter our path.

FOUND ASLEEP

On each occasion after the Lord Jesus engaged in intense and grueling session of prayer He returned to the place where He had left the trio of Disciples and found them fast asleep.

Clearly, we are able to view ourselves through their actions. We cannot claim to possess a superior spiritual acumen that far exceeds theirs despite how many generations of believers have succeeded them.

Our “fallenness” has not diminished the potent and often overpowering influence of “the flesh” in our lives when we are caught in a state of spiritual carnality and weakness.

ASLEEP AGAIN

Scripture documents that intermittently throughout the Lord's intervals of earnest prayer in the Garden, He purposely made three return trips back to the staging location where He had left the trio of His core group of Disciples to assess their status. On each occasion He arrived and found them fast asleep.

Now to the natural eye their condition may have been justifiably acceptable; however, from the Lord's response to them we quickly see that this assessment is wholly faulty.

The Lord's direct instruction to them was to "tarry and watch." The objective was for them to observe the struggle that He had to endure in order to prepared for the hazards of spiritual perils the awaited in His path in the immediate future.

Specifically, from the this very human ordeal it was intended that they would learn firsthand what to do in order to face the spiritual challenges they we destined to encounter in the days ahead. Nevertheless, when He returned, He found them asleep.

Even after mildly reprimanding them and explaining to them the importance of complying with His mandates their actions did not change as shown when He returned after engaging in subsequent prayer sessions.

Mark 14:39-40 comments, "And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him."

Sadly, there are some lessons that must be learned the "hard way." Even though, they were given the spiritual instruction and guidance that provision alone was not sufficient to change their prevailing spiritual state without the necessary corresponding inner alteration of their minds as well.

Once more, we see ourselves in the mirror of their actions. Although we ignore or dismiss the matter as trivial and unimportant, the subject of spiritual slumber is one that is heavily addressed in the text of Scripture: "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep."  (Romans13:11a)

"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."  (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

THE TENDENCY TO DRIFT AND LOSE FOCUS

It is a documented fact that our natural level of mental focus and concentration is not very long.

For example, in the realm of educational instruction, it is a specific reason why the duration of class periods is uniquely set, or the amount of time spent on particular subject is limited to the level that they are.

The reason is simply that we can only naturally stay focused for so long, then our minds start to wander and drift. In most cases, the older we become the more we learn to tame our tendency to drift. In fact, in certain arenas of vocational life disciplined attention is particularly honed and trained to far exceed that we are typically accustomed to.

But, regardless of the attained, exceptionally accentuated level of our natural capabilities, we should understand that no measure of trained and honed mental faculties could enable us to comply with mandates or directives that are spiritual in essence.

Now, to be sure, contrary to the declared precept just cited, in many Eastern-oriented religious circles, we see individuals devoted to the practice of disciplining the body and mind attempting to achieve spiritual objectives. Moreover, some of the physical feats they are able to accomplish are quite remarkable; however, we should recognize their achievements yet pertain to the natural realm.

When we observe them display interplay in the realm of the supernatural; then we should understand that something 'other' than that which is natural has entered into the equation.

As Scripture fully documents and thoroughly explains, that which is mandated for "believer's only" can only be accomplished by "followers of Christ," not in our strength but through the enabling powers of the Holy Ghost.

It does not matter whether the tasks placed before us appear to be insignificantly minor or monumentally major. We are fully dependent on the power of God."

The dependently reliant banner cry that we humbly embrace that which is annunciated in Zechariah 4:6 emphatically declares, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."

Obviously, this likewise assumes that motivation of our actions align with that decreed by the Lord Jesus who passionately pointedly declared to our heavenly Father, "nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14:36b)

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April 11, 2019

Matt. 26:40-41; Mk. 14:37-38; Lk. 22:45-46 (KJV)

Matthew 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? 38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Luke 22:45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

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