The Prayer in Gethsemane Ml 14 32-42

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES.

The Bible: Gospel of Mark icon.

During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 14:32 -42 which is called The Prayer in Gethsemane.

THE PRAYER IN GETHSEMANE.

 Jesus and His disciples arrive at Gethsemane, which means an oil press and suggests a farm planted with olive trees.  He takes with Him Peter, James and John, the three who were with Him on the mountain when He was names His Son by God (9:2)

Before He prays, Jesus is seized by fear. The words used by Mark express the strongest and deepest human feelings.  Jesus loses His usual calm and strength and becomes restless, troubled and confused.  He cries out to the three disciples accompanying Him that He is drowning in a sorrow like death.  He appears weak and seems to look to His disciples for human support.

Yet it is clear that it is Jesus in His weakness and confusion who is really the strong one and that the three disciples in their inability to watch are the ones in need of help.

‘’Abba’’ my own father papa, or some similar intimate name which sons and daughters use of a father within the family, is the word Jesus uses. He prayers he may be spared the cup of suffering and condemnation.

Jesus may have once hoped for success but now He sees His mission as doomed to human failure.  Yet the centre of His prayer remains His mission from God, what God wills, and His own weakness and fears.  His inner spirit is willing but His human flesh, like His disciples’, is weak.  The commitment of Jesus to His mission contrasts starkly with the weakness of His human fears.

The approach of Judas, the one who will hand Him over, is the visible sign that the hour of testing has come.  He summons His disciples face with Him this testing.

The prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane invites us to share the experience in Jesus Himself of faithful service in interior suffering and pain.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS.

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In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are the disciples- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?
•  Imagine being the one of the disciples listening to Jesus and watching His fear yet His commitment to His mission. What questions do I want to bring to Jesus?
•  What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?

• How does Jesus make clear His teaching to me in this passage?
•   Consider a situation in your life today where the teaching of Jesus needs to be applied. 

• Consider how much my faith means to me and what does my faithfulness/unfaithfulness to my church/parish mean to me and others?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus in the light of this teaching?
  
  
• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus in the light of this teaching?