Fully Human

“They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’  He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated.  And he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.’  And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.  He said, ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.’”  -Mark 14:32-36

This is one of those moments in the Christ story that we see just how human He is.  Jesus is filled with emotion.  Overwhelmed and anxious.  Considering He knew where this night was leading, it’s no wonder.  But how often do we think about this part of the story.  The part that made Jesus fully human.  He needed His friends close-by and He needed to talk to His Father.  Did you know that Abba is the Aramaic term for “Dad”?  He is dramatic about it.  He throws himself to the ground.  Have you ever had to sit down or lie down because of how you felt?  You were so tired, or sad, or depressed, or at a loss that you just couldn’t bring yourself to do anything else.  Or to express your anger or despair, you screamed into a pillow, pounded your fist down on the table or crumpled to the ground in a heap.  Here Jesus is having a similar emotional response.  He throws Himself to the ground to come before His Father with an honest prayer.  After being honest with Himself and God, and acting on what He was feeling, He was able to then accept His purpose.  The “cup” that is talked about is Jesus’ destiny to be Savior of the world.  Through this prayer He comes to terms with His destiny, with what God wants from Him and can move forward, entrusting His life to His Father God.  The point?  Well one of the take homes I get from this story is that it is ok to come before God having an emotional breakdown and making outrageous requests.  In the end though, peace will come to those who trust.
Prayer:  Father God, help us to throw ourselves completely into your love’s promise and plan for our lives.  Grant us peace and fearlessness.  Thank you for listening to us and accepting us as we are.  Thank you for not giving up on us and always asking us to follow you.  Amen!