BibleWorm

This week we conclude our special series on Disputing with God with the story of Jesus praying with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane as told in Mark 14:32-42. We notice at least two disputes in this text, the first between Jesus, who is praying in anguish, and his disciples, who keep falling asleep. We ponder the human propensity toward avoidance in moments of impending crisis, whether by napping or by binge-watching Netflix, and we contrast it with Jesus’ command to “Stay awake!,” both here in the garden and as we await the inbreaking of the Kingdom of Heaven. The second conflict is more complicated, with Jesus protesting against the fate that God has set for him, asking God to “take this cup away from me.” We are comforted a bit that even Jesus faces moments of doubt when the times are daunting yet inspired by his commitment to following God’s will to face the dangers that lay ahead. Stay awake, y’all! This is a good one.