Lent Three

Lent Three ON EARTH, IN HEAVEN 3/7 & 3/11/07

Most of us have heard, and/or said: “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” This is most often heard when a person has attempted to defeat, overpower, or overwhelm another, only to discover that they are unable to succeed. I wonder how many people bring this attitude to the Lord’s Prayer, specifically when we say: “Thy will be done”? When we know we are unable to defeat that which we confront, when life seems overwhelming, when we are ready to “throw in the towel” or say “I give up”, we might then become interested in God’s will being done. When we don’t get “our way,” then we might say “Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way.” Modern guides in Palestine identify an area easily reached, just outside the walls of Jerusalem, as the Mount of Olives. It lies just on the other side of the Kidron Valley. Jesus and His 11 remaining disciples left the Upper Room and walked 20 minutes or so across the Valley and up the other side. 8 of the disciples are told “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” (Mt. 26:36) Jesus took Peter, James, and John a bit farther, telling them “Stay here and keep watch with me” (Mt. 26:38). Specifically described by Luke as “about a stone’s throw” (22:41), Jesus chose to go deeper into the Garden of Gethsemane, alone. Under the severe “weight” of God’s will, Jesus “fell with his face to the ground and prayed”. (Mt. 26:39)

Jesus, many months ago, had taught His disciples to pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Now, moments before His arrest, Jesus prays exactly as He had earlier taught. Whereas Matthew records Jesus telling His disciples to “keep watch”, according to St. Luke, Jesus told His disciples “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” (Lk. 22:40) Apparently they could not succeed in keeping their own eyes open. While the eternal history of the world, along with your salvation and mine, is being battled out before them, they could not keep their eyes open, for whatever reason. Luke---the physician---explains that they were “sleeping because of grief.”(22:45) Grief can reduce and fatigue us, nonetheless Jesus’ first comment to these drowsy disciples is a 4-word question: “Why are you sleeping?”(22:46) In deep grief the disciples sleep, Jesus prays…offering yet another lesson for all who grieve. Alone, then, as the only one able to remain awake in prayer, Jesus prays: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk. 22:42) In other words, Jesus prayed: “Father, if You can redeem the world without my suffering and death, then let it be so; but if not, Thy will be done.” According to Matthew’s Gospel account (26:39, 42, 44), Jesus prayed these same words no less than three times that night. As waves pound upon the shore, the cruelty of the crucifixion and Jesus’ inner torment sweeps over Him as He prays…as He, alone, prays.

Although omitted in some translations, St. Luke records that “an angel from heaven appeared to [Jesus] and gave Him strength.” (22:43) In this strength, Jesus “prayed more earnestly.” This was the Father’s immediate answer to His Son’s passionate prayer! Jesus is strengthened to pray more earnestly, strengthened for what was to come, empowered to remain obedient, and equipped to do His Father’s will…God’s unmistakable will obediently fulfilled through His unfailing grace.

As children of the heavenly Father, we are taught to “find out what pleases the Lord” (Eph. 5:10) and this is for God’s children to do the Father’s will, as a parent might say to their child: “Would you, please, just do what I asked you to do?!” St. Paul simply states what this includes, as we are told to live “in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.”(Eph. 5:9) We are expected to do what is good, speak what is true, and live upright lives. No one said this would be easy. It was not easy for the writer of Psalm 121, for he wrote: “Where does my help come from? It comes from the Lord.” (121:1-2) Nor was it easy for Jesus, as He literally sweat blood that night in the Garden.

We are in the depths and the daring portion of The Lord’s Prayer as we pray for God’s will to be done! When we pray, we dare not offer empty words. Don’t pray it if you don’t mean it! Rather, we might pray, as did Martin Luther, saying “Thy will be done, dear Father, and not the will of the devil or of our enemies, nor of those who would persecute and suppress Thy holy Word or prevent Thy kingdom from coming; and grant that whatever we must suffer on its account, we may patiently bear and overcome, so that our poor flesh may not yield or fall away through weakness or indolence.”(Large Catechism) We are to pray this prayer in victory, not in defeat, as winners rather than whiners. In this prayer we ask Our Father to defeat every influence that opposes His will on earth! May God’s holy angels have charge of us, that the wicked one have no power over us! AMEN