Thought for the Week – 15^th March 2021 

God is on our side – Luke 22:39-46 

^“Jesus came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him.  When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’  Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.  In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.  When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’”

 As we approach Easter, we learn of Jesus’ struggle within himself, but what about us?  

There were no neat lawns, no formal flower beds in Gethsemane’s garden, but there were olive trees scattered all over the hillside and straggly grass and dust.  A place of peace and quiet away from the city except when the olives were being harvested, and maybe Jesus was just attracted by the quietness of the place.  The word Gethsemane means ‘oil press’.

It was quiet the last time Jesus went there, at night, but the peace had gone.  It was a time of tension:  Jesus struggling with himself, striving with God.  Somehow it’s easy to get smug, to gloss over the struggle, and concentrate on Jesus’ decision.  “….yet not my will, but yours be done”. (Luke 22: 42)    Sounds easy enough to say and do.  “Ah,” we say, “he always did his Father’s will.”  

This may well be true but there was nothing easy about it……  just look at the struggle!

It echoes our own struggles.  The constant battle of our will versus God’s and the fight to go our own way, not his!  We’ll do anything to avoid it, argue, pretend, rationalise.  Yet if we were to put less energy into fighting, there would be more left to do his work!  We screw ourselves up so tightly, raising objections that we’ve nothing left over for constructive thought. 

But from the cross, Jesus offers us a new freedom, he offers us the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way.  Obedience – a free decision we make towards God – leads to a freedom from self. Something definitely worth fighting for!

When you look at it more closely, the struggle isn’t really against God, but against self, and God is actually fighting on our side, if only we will let him!  

Prayer:

It’s some battle, Lord, and I’ve been fighting it since I was born.  Fighting for my own way and pegging out my own boundaries, while you are offering me free access to the world.  I’m tired of fighting, Lord, it never seems to end.  I look through tired eyes and see you by my side.  Friend not foe, fighting with me, not against.  I struggle upright, stand again in new freedom and, for the first time, I can look into your eyes, without reserve. Amen