And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:39-41).

"Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour?" Just an hour to keep from entering into temptation! Just an hour to give the willing spirit opportunity to prevail over a weak flesh. Just an hour with the Lord to fulfill the will of God. 

But could the disciples be faulted? They were tired, and their eyes were heavy. 

It's now been about ten years that I have consistently and daily read through the Bible every year. Before this time I remember reading sporadically and inconsistently and having the hardest time staying alert and awake during my readings, particularly in the unexciting portions of Scripture (e.g. genealogies, descriptions of the temple, etc.). In that time I probably spent a fraction of the time I spend today in the Scriptures. But even ten minutes was hard. 

I persisted. Ten years ago I was thirty-four. I became a Christian when I was fifteen. Nineteen years I tried to keep a daily, consistent and meaningful time in God's Word. Nineteen years I had spotty success and more consistent failure. I tried so hard to stay awake, but I just could not do it. I remember my head nodding and my eyes opening and closing as I forced myself through a passage of Scripture. I would feel guilty because I could not remember what I just read. I remember crying out to God for help. I remember my atheist boss calling me and asking why I had not come into work yet. I had the hardest time telling her that I was just trying to finish my Bible reading. 

I did Word studies. I started a notebook journal to explore theological topics. I tried to prepare Bible studies and outline future sermons. I tried everything I could think of to develop a daily discipline in God's Word. I was good for a day, a week, or perhaps even a month. But then I would fall off course for much longer. 

I don't know what finally turned the tide for me. Even if I could pinpoint it, I don't know that it would work the same for anyone else. But I share my experience, so that I might give a testimony of my struggle with Jesus' challenge, "Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour?" It took me nineteen years to unpack and apply just one principle from that challenge, namely, keeping a daily and consistent time in God's Word. 

Today, I spend one to three hours in His Word every day, that is, reading, studying, memorizing, and sharing. It is easy to do, and I rarely find myself nodding off with fatigue. My spirit is willing and my flesh is kept at bay. 

But I could not say the same thing about prayer and the earnest pusuit of everything that glorifies God. Yet, the one blessing has given me impetus to pursue these other disciplines, whether it takes me another nineteen years or longer. 

Friends, I hope you will not be discouraged in your pursuit of God through His Word, through prayer, and through the earnest pursuit of everything that glorifies His Name. Even if it seems hard and to be taking a long time, I am confident that you will prevail if you do not give up.

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table (Matthew 26:6-7).

From the information in John's account of this time, the unnamed woman in Matthew's Gospel was probably Mary (cf. John 12:3), the sister of Martha, whose brother was Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 

But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor" (Mathew 26:8-9)

Again, while Matthew does not name the disciple or disciples that objected to what Mary did, John does. It was primarily Judas Iscariot. John also provides the explanation that the objection was made not because Judas cared about the poor but because he just wanted to enrich himself:

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it (John 12:4-6).

Now, what John does not record, Matthew records, namely, that Judas went to the chief priests to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (cf. Matthew 26:14-16). While John does not record this, it is consistent with the characterization of Judas in John's gospel.

Now, what is most remarkable is that Jesus knew that Judas would betray him. He likley also knew that Judas was embezzling funds from their money bag. Yet, never once did Jesus try to deter Judas from his destined path.

Again, when Jesus is in the Garden and guards come to arrest him, one of the disciples tries to fight them off with a sword. But Jesus tells him to put away his sword, for it is not that Jesus could not fully defend himself but that he would not:

Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?” (Matthew 26:53-54).

Jesus had a singular concern to fulfill the will of the Father in keeping with the prophecies of Scripture. This is also why, even painfully aware of his impending crufixion, his repeated refrain in prayer was "Not as I will, but as You will" (cf. Matthew 26:39,42,44). He would travel this road of suffering and death so that "the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me" (John 14:31).

The unmistakable message of Jesus' life was his singular concern to obey the will of the Father with an unmitigated confidence that God was in control, so that secret strategems of evil men, like Judas and the Jewish leaders, would not deter him from fulfilling the mission that God had given him. 

Friends, we must realize that the same God and Father that directed the life of our Savior directs our lives as well. And like the Lord Jesus, our primary concern ought to be in obeying the will of God. This is both the wisest and safest course, as Paul also wrote:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is (Ephesians 5:15-17).

Now, let us understand that when we submit to the Lord in this way, this will not guarantee a trouble-free life. It will not necessarily save us from being hoodwinked, betrayed or slandered. But we will share the Lord's confidence and mission. 

This is enough for me. Is it enough for you? I take to heart this encouraging exhortation:

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Friends, let us "RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US". And when it gets a bit hard for us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who "for the joy set before him, endured the cross" and "endured such opposition from sinners." Then we "will not grow weary and lose heart". We know that one day we will be in the paradise of heaven, declaring the praises of Him who walked the road of suffering and death ahead of us:

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor" (Matthew 26:6-9).

"Why this waste?...It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor." The disciples rebuked the woman with these words. This is like a year's wages! You could have just used a little and not the whole jar! You could have helped a lot of people with it! And if you worked the market, you could have even gotten more money for it, so that you can help even more people!

This all sounds good and right, until the Lord spoke. Jesus rebuked the disciples, saying that what the woman did was a "beautiful thing," and, in fact, it was so special that it would be told and retold throughout generations as far and long as the gospel was preached. 

What was wrong with the disciples' rebuke? I believe they had lost sight of the main thing. The main thing was not to serve the poor. This was a good thing but not the main thing. The woman understood by her actions the main thing, which was to worship the Lord. In a somewhat similar situation, we find the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha:

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).

Martha complained that her sister Mary was not helping her in the preparations. Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet listening to Him. Jesus rebuked Martha for being busy about many things but missing the main thing. Mary understood by her actions the main thing, which was to learn from the Lord. 

There are two great commands that Jesus and every good Jew knew that summarized all the Law and the Prophets. The first command was to love God completely. The second was to love one's neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:34-40). While they are alike in content, an unconditional love, they are not equally important, as some preacher's unfortunately teach. There is no comparison between loving God and loving one's neighbor. In fact, we only love our neighbor because God, whom we love completely, commands it.

You may ask, then why does the Bible say that when we don't love our brothers we don't have the love of God in us (1 John 4:20-21)? The reason is not because loving our brothers is equally important. It is because loving God means obeying God. And God commands us to love our brothers. When we don't, we disobey Him. When we disobey Him, we show that we don't truly love Him. That is why Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey my commands" (John 14:15). Therefore, loving our neighbor proceeds out from our love for God. It is one way that we show that we love God, by obeying His command to love our neighbor. 

Jesus also taught that loving God is so exceedingly great, every other love relationship, even our closest ones, would appear as hate in comparison (cf. Luke 14:25-26). So you can see that expressions of love, including our charitable acts toward the poor, cannot compare with our devotion to God. The focus of all history is His Story, God's story, God's glory. It is not about man's salvation nor our mutual care for one another, it is about God getting the highest glory. 

The disciples failed to understand this, but the woman, who broke the costly alabaster jar of oil to anoint the Lord Jesus, understood. The priest Phineas, who drove the spear through the Israelite idolator with his Midianite mistress, understood. The priority is always God's glory. 

Friends, it is never a waste to give and to do for the glory of God. It is important to help the poor, to feed the hungry, and to support the needy, but let us remember that we do these things not as ends in themselves but for the glory of God. If only for humanitarian reasons and ends we do these things, it will be of little worth except that we connect our efforts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the same way, sharing a meal with others means nothing, but remembering the Lord, even His death and resurrection, in such a fellowship makes all the difference. Zeal is worthless, even a righteous zeal is worthless, unless it has been ordained by God and in keeping with God's design. The Jews were zealous for God and for righteousness in Paul's day, but their zeal was worthless because it was of their own making and not by God's design:

For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness (Romans 10:1-3).

Therefore, dear friends, let understand what the Lord's will is because these days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-17). Our good intentions and our good acts must conform to God's Word and prioritize His glory. Jesus healed others and sacrificed Himself all in keeping with that divine will. We must do no less. 

This may be one of the saddest chapters in the New Testament, it begins with the infamous betrayal by Judas, selling out Jesus for 20 pieces of silver. (Matt 26:14-15) "the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver".

Sadly, Jesus was betrayed (or abandoned) by each of the disciples not just Judas. (Matt 26:31) "Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:" (Matt 26:31) "Truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."

The disciples abandoned Jesus as the Pharisees seized him at the garden of Gethsemane and Peter (self proclaimed most loyal disciple) fearing for his safety disowns Jesus 3 times before the rooster crows.

Even at the Garden of Gethsemane, as Christ agonizes over his coming crucifixion (described in His prayer to God) he asked that his brothers (disciples) keep watch and pray with him, but they fell asleep exhausted.

For three years Christ loved the disciples, he taught and mentored them, they saw his miracles again and again and yet in in the end they thought first of themselves, fearing for their safety or wanting to profit. Heartbreaking, because we are not so different today.

Pastor Jae, preached a few months ago on Jacob and Esau and how Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup. Esau in his moment of need (being famished) traded immediate gratification for God's blessing….is this not what the disciples did, and not what we do today still as Christians. When we choose to satisfy our immediate needs over serving God, when we forget to read our bibles and pray, when we let discomfort keep us from sharing the word, when temptation gets the best of us haven't we also abandoned Jesus?…. I have to admit I am truly convicted by this chapter.

Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” (Matthew 26:21, 22 NKJV)

Friends, when I read this account I can so see myself being among the first to ask Jesus, "Lord, is it I?" The disciples, we are told, "were exceedingly sorrowful." Could it be that having spent these years in His presence they became painfully aware of their deep sinfulness and unbelief in light of His pure and perfect faith and obedience? And they perceived Jesus knew the spiritual angst in their hearts, and so they would confess it before He pointed them out.

We are told that the Word of God serves as a mirror for our hearts:

For the word of God  is  living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)

Therefore, daily as I meditate on God's Word, I am also daily confronted with my sinfulness, selfishness, pride, and idolatries. It is not that I do not do what Christians do, but I recognize I'm woefully inadequate to do anything worthy of God, and I find myself constantly appealing to His grace for everything.

The Lord rebukes me for real sins, but my brothers rebuke me without good or right cause. Sometimes I wish my brothers knew what the Lord sees in me, so that when they confront me it would be valid, and then I could embrace them for being a true brother to me, being concerned for my soul and drawing me nearer to God. But instead my brothers are only a stumbling block to what God is doing through me, concerned with the traditions of men and with what they perceive to be right in their own eyes. Yet, I am hesitant to rebuke back because I perceive the plank, which they do not see, in my eye, and I am diligently working to remove it by God's grace.

Friends, I know that those that truly seek God will be as these disciples, humbly and sometimes painfully aware of their sinfulness before a holy God. Don't be like Judas, who truly betrayed the Lord, who only asked the question ("Is it I") to keep in step with the other eleven and not to confess and repent. We are told that if we harden our hearts, then there is no forgiveness, but if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

I really liked this chapter, I made a lot of notes.  I have been hearing lately from various preachers the importance of being in a community of believers.  In verse 42: 

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.

Looking at Jesus's handling of a very stressful decision, I got that we being in Jesus does not mean always wanting the same as Jesus.

Just as Jesus submitted to the Father, through the encouragement he sought from the spirit, we must seek the Father's will, submit to it with the encouragement sought from the spirit, manifest through the body of believers, as reflected in this really interesting example.

I love the dichotomy shown (actually a Trichotomy!) One personality, facing despair for the sake of another personality, encouraged and empowered by another personality.  Never just one on their own, always in a community!  How humble the almighty is bowing to the submission of himself.

"Community and unity in the diversity of the Trinity" - Ravi Zacharias