Matthew 26:36-46

"Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.’ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’ Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again he went away for the second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand’" (Matthew 26:36-46).  

Comment:

I have often said the true drama of Jesus' last week is neither the crucifixion nor even the resurrection. It is in the Garden of Gethsemene. Once Jesus surrendered to what he knows to be his spiritual purpose, everything else is just going through the motions. He is, as we are, a Spirit being temporarily experiencing both duality and mortality. He is thus very conflicted about what's to come. As Spirit, he knows this final demonstration is essential to complete his ministry. As a mortal man, he is as sorrowful as we would be to leave the disciples and friends he's come to love very much. Plus ,of course, he knows it's gonna hurt! And so I see him in the Garden hearing both the powerful guidance of his Spirit and the fear-based hysteria of his ego mind.  nd when he makes that choice and surrenders to Spirit, the rest, however painful, is relatively easy. Why? Because once that choice is made, he is free from the input of ego mind. There are no more choices to make; he is never again tempted to call the whole thing off.

And that, I think, is the key piece of it all for us. The true crucifixion is that painful sense of being pulled in two directions—with our fears pulling us one way and our Spirit guiding us to higher and higher possibilities. I experience that all the time. The promise of the Garden is that if we choose what we know Spirit is guiding us to do, we will expand into our creative purpose. And our Spirit choice is true, anchored in our infinite Love, the ego mind will be quieted, at least for that issue. We expand—we resurrect—and move on to more crucifixion experiences and more opportunities to choose as the creative Spirit we truly are.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed