“〔他〕来到门徒那里，见他们睡着了。” – 太 26:40
过了筋疲力尽的一天，虽然已是时候上床睡觉了，你是否仍然有更多事情要做呢？你似乎再不能保持清醒了，但你有没有仍然坚持下去？当门徒和耶稣一起来到客西马尼园时，那一天他们便有类似的感受。
吩咐祂的门徒等候衪之后，耶稣便进到客西马尼园里去祷告。一个钟头后祂回来时，见到彼得、雅各、和约翰正在沉沉大睡。耶稣责备他们和警诫他们要清醒和警醒。然而，在后来两次离开他们去祷告后回来时，耶稣发现他们也一样睡着了。耶稣为什么以如此严厉的语气对他们说话呢？毕竟他们在肉体上、情绪上、和灵性上都已经筋疲力尽了 – 更可况他们感到被危险和厄运笼罩着。
虽然耶稣是在斥责门徒在睡觉，但这个埸景更深显示出祂自己的境况。耶稣感受到难以抵挡的忧伤，衪被将要临到的苦难重重压住了。然而衪的宣告 – “我父啊 … 不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思”和“愿你的意旨成全” – 在历代历世中迥荡着和一直流传到我们今天。
门徒没有能力保持清醒，更突出了耶稣的难受和痛楚 – 最后在十架上在难以忍受的痛苦中作结。耶稣为我们肩负痛苦，所以我们应以谦卑和感恩的心向祂屈膝。
祷告
主啊，我们是多么软弱。唯有你才有这种意志和能力去背负我们罪的重担。求你帮助我们警醒和与人分享你的爱。阿们。
马太福音 26:36-46
36耶稣同门徒来到一个地方，名叫客西马尼，就对他们说：“你们坐在这里，等我到那边去祷告。”
37于是带着彼得和西庇太的两个儿子同去，就忧愁起来，极其难过，
38便对他们说：“我心里甚是忧伤，几乎要死。你们在这里等候，和我一同警醒。”
39他就稍往前走，俯伏在地，祷告说：“我父啊！倘若可行，求你叫这杯离开我！然而，不要照我的意思，只要照你的意思。”
40来到门徒那里，见他们睡着了，就对彼得说：“怎么样，你们不能同我警醒片时吗？
41总要警醒祷告，免得入了迷惑。你们心灵固然愿意，肉体却软弱了。”
42第二次又去祷告说：“我父啊！这杯若不能离开我，必要我喝，就愿你的意旨成全！”
43又来，见他们睡着了，因为他们的眼睛困倦。
44耶稣又离开他们去了。第三次祷告，说的话还是与先前一样。
45于是来到门徒那里，对他们说：“现在你们仍然睡觉安歇吧！时候到了，人子被卖在罪人手里了。
46起来，我们走吧！看哪，卖我的人近了！”
Staying Awake
“He returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.” – Matthew 26:40
After an exhausting day, have you still had more to do even though it was bedtime? And have you kept on, barely able to stay awake? That’s the kind of day the disciples had when they went with Jesus to the garden of Gethsemane.
After telling his disciples to wait, Jesus went deeper into the garden to pray. Returning an hour later, he found Peter, James, and John fast asleep. Jesus scolded them and warned them to stay awake and alert. Yet, after going to pray and returning twice again, he found them sleeping. Why did Jesus take a rough tone with them? After all, they had become totally worn out physically, emotionally, and spiritually—not to mention having a cloud of danger and doom hanging over them.
Though Jesus rebuked the disciples’ sleepiness, this scene reveals more about his own situation. Overwhelmed with sorrow, Jesus was weighed down with the great burden of suffering he would soon face. But his confession—”My Father . . . not as I will but as you will” and “May your will be done”—resonates through the centuries to us today.
The disciples’ powerlessness to stay awake only highlights Jesus’ pain and suffering, which ends in his excruciating death on the cross. The suffering that Jesus shouldered for us brings us to our knees in humility and gratitude.
Prayer
Lord, we are so weak. Only you had the will and ability to carry the burden of our sin. Help us to stay alert and share your love. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
