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Sound & Season is a daily audio devotional designed to connect the routine moments of life to the rhythms of the Church seasons.
This is Sound and Season. It's Tuesday of Holy Week, 36th day of Lent. Our passage today comes from the gospel of Mark chapter 14 verses 26 through 42. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, you will all fall away, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, but after I am raised up I will go before you to Galilee.
Jeffrey Heine:Peter said to him, even though they all fall away, I will not. And Jesus said to him, truly I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me 3 times. But he said emphatically, if I must die with you, I will not deny you. And they all said the same. And they went to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples, sit here while I pray.
Jeffrey Heine:And he took with him Peter, and James, and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch. And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba Father, all things are possible for you, remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what you will.
Jeffrey Heine:And he came and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch 1 hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Jeffrey Heine:And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy and they did not know what to answer him, and he came the third time and said to them, are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. The son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Jeffrey Heine:Rise. Let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Jeffrey Heine:It can be difficult to see our own weakness. We can think ourselves to be much wiser and stronger than we are, but God knows. Saint Augustine wrote, God knows in us even what we ourselves do not know, For Peter did not know his weakness, when he heard from the Lord that he would deny him 3 times. And from the 4th century theologian, Ephraim the Syrian, who wrote in his commentary, he knew what he was saying to his father, and was well aware that this cup could pass from him, but he had to come and drink it for everyone, in order to forgive through this cup the debt of everyone, a debt which the prophets and martyrs could not pay with their debts. He assumed the flesh, he clothed himself with weakness, eating when hungry, becoming tired after working, being overcome by sleep when weary.
Jeffrey Heine:It was necessary when the time for his death arrived that all things that have to do with the flesh would be fulfilled then. The anguish of death in fact invaded him to manifest his nature as the son of Adam over whom death reigns according to the word of the apostle, or alternatively, in this hour of his corporal death, He gave to the body that which belonged to it, saying that all the sufferings of his body would show to the heretics that his body was real, did not this body of his appear to them just as it was visible to everyone else, just as he was hungry and thirsty, tired and had need of sleep too, so too was he afraid. If he, who is wise, on account of the wisdom of God, asked for what was fitting for him, how much more should ordinary people surrender their will to the one who knows all things, if he who is fearless was afraid of death, and asked to be delivered from it, although he knew that it was impossible, how much more should others persevere in prayer before temptation, so that in time of temptation, they may be delivered from it.
Jeffrey Heine:Lord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come to you. Let us pray. Oh God, strengthen us as we put our trust in Christ today. We can do nothing good apart from you, so bring us close. Bind us in your love, and show us the way of your righteousness.
Jeffrey Heine:Jesus, by your death you took away the sting of death, so that all who trust in you can awake in your presence and likeness forever. Remind us today of the goodness of your mercy that comes to us through your cross and renew our confidence in the certain hope of life with you eternal. O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.