Jesus has been praying in anguish of heart. But he hasn’t forgotten his disciples. He is worried for them, because he knows what will happen. And also, he hopes to be able to draw strength from then. So he goes back to see how they are doing, He is about to be bitterly disappointed.

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 14:37–38

As much as Jesus is distressed, he has not forgotten his disciples, and so he goes back to where he left Peter, James and John. In what Jesus says to the three, we often see a rebuke, imagining that they were spoken with an angry tone.

We need to learn to see Jesus in a different light. Certainly, his words conveyed his disappointment, but they were spoken in love. Christ’s concern is their lack of preparation for the coming trial that they are about to face.

When Jesus says, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” he isn’t excusing Peter, James, and John; he is merely stating a fact. Just an hour or so back, they had all said that they would never abandon him, even if they had to die with him.

And now, when Jesus has asked them to do a simple thing, just to stay awake, they can’t do it! It’s often the simple things that trip us up, isn’t it? But what this passage tells you is that Jesus understands.

He understands not just your spirit, but he also understands your flesh. What is it that usually makes you stumble? There’s always something. But if you trust Jesus and stay close to him, he is able to save.

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