January 29, 2006
�Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye 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 saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, 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 thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?�
Matthew 26: 36- 40 King James Version
I think this is one of the most heartbreaking passages in the Bible. If ever someone needed to be encouraged, Jesus did. He asked them to watch with Him while He prayed and they fell asleep. How that must have broken the Heart of our Saviour!
There have been many times when we have cried out to God in desperation for relief from some situation. However, none of us have ever faced or ever will encounter such despair as Jesus did that day. When He said, �O my Father�, that prayer was full of anguish, loneliness, torment, and sorrow.
Yes, Jesus needed them to encourage Him that day and they fell asleep. You and I do the same thing the disciples did. He asks us to go visit and call someone who needs encouragement and comfort, yet many times we fail to obey Him.
We can encourage Jesus by encouraging one another. It makes Jesus happy when He sees us treating one another with love and kindness. Are you encouraging Jesus, or are you discouraging Him?
Joanne Lowe
