No Empty Promises

Yesterday was the beginning of Lent and for many people this is a time of self-denial and fasting from some activity. Unfortunately, it's also much like New Year's resolutions; the resolve to give up something often lasts only a day or so. Or many go through the motions of giving up something for Lent without really spending that time wrestling in prayer.

I'm working through the readings found in the free resource I put together which can be found here: A Guide to Help You Walk Through Lent. As I read the passage found in Matthew this morning I noticed something about making resolves to follow God's leading. I highlighted the disciples' promises and actions in red and Jesus' actions in blue. The contrast is signficant. 

Matthew 26:31-56 ~

Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will run away because of Me, for it is written:

    I will strike the shepherd,

    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away!”

“I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times!”

“Even if I have to die with You,” Peter told Him, “I will never deny You!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow —to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with Me.” Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with Me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.

After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 

Get up; let’s go! See, My betrayer is near.”

While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him!” So he went right up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

“Friend,” Jesus asked him, “why have you come?”

Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him. At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear.

Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword. Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions of angels? How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”

At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture Me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple complex, and you didn’t arrest Me. But all this has happened so that the prophetic Scriptures would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and ran away.

There are a few things that I took away from this passage.

1. Promises or resolutions without prayer won't take you very far. 

The giving up of something for Lent or anything we promise to the Lord should not be done lightly. So often we are quick to jump in and tell the Lord we will do something for Him, but quickly backtrack on what we promised. Peter adamantly told Jesus he would never deny him, but then just as adamantly did that very thing. Instead of staying up and praying with Jesus with alertness, the disciples fell asleep. How many times do we make promises to the Lord but then fall into apathy?

2. Following God's will often means wrestling in prayer and tears as we surrender our will and our plans for God's.

We are told in this passage that Jesus spent the night in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying and struggling with God's will for His life. He knew what was coming and it was with deep sorrow and tears that He wrestled with it. But He also wanted to fulfill God's will and this was a surrender of His will for God's plan. Do we spend time in prayer, as we seek to surrender our will for God's will?

3. God's will for us is always is found in Scripture.

Jesus' whole mission was to fulfill the will of the Father which was found in Scripture. He quoted it regularly and found God's plan in it. He knew He was the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament and regularly pointed to those Scriptures to show His disciples and others how they were being fulfilled in Him. Many times, we wonder what God's plan is for our lives, but as we go back to what His word says, we can find that plan in there. Do you regularly spend time in His word to find the blueprint for your life?

We see the stark contrast between what Peter says at the beginning of this passage and the very last sentence where it says all of the disciples ran away. And in the very middle of the passage, after wrestling all night in the garden, Jesus says, "Let's go and meet the betrayer." Jesus surrenders His will and then gets up and follows where God is leading Him.

I was challenged by this passage this morning. I want to follow where God is leading me, but I also want to make sure I'm not making empty promises or quick decisions without seeking His will for me first. I want to be able to follow where He leads and that will mean even into some hard places.

May we all be found faithful.