Spirit And Body

Spirit and Body

Matthew 26:40-41, NIV

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Setting the Scene

Although they knew Jesus was agitated before he left them and as he prayed close by in the darkness, it wasn’t long before the evening breezes and the long day caught up with the disciples. Luke wrote that they were “exhausted from sorrow” (Luke 22:45, NIV). Jesus had asked them to “keep watch with me,” but they drifted into sleep.

When Jesus approached them and found all three sound asleep, he spoke to Peter, but his disappointment included all of them: “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” Jesus’ rhetorical question rebuked the disciples in the light of their recent assurances. Peter in particular had testified that they could be counted on to stand with Jesus. This chance to put their commitment to the test resulted in dismal failure.

Before he returned to prayer, Jesus expanded his request, giving his disciples a compelling reason not only to watch, but also to pray. Jesus knew the immediate temptation to fall asleep was nothing compared to the trials and temptations that were already approaching.

Jesus intertwined several sentiments in his statements. He reproved them without rejecting them. His words urged them to do better even as he acknowledged their limitations. The “watch and pray” command urged them to enlist God’s help in the process of identifying and resisting temptation as well as enduring trials. The willing spirit that overcomes the handicap of the flesh develops as a result of prayer. Neither our willing spirit nor our weak flesh in themselves are enough to sustain us in life’s challenges. That inner strength comes from the indwelling Spirit as we depend on God.

Getting Personal

What have you discovered that assists you in the process of watching and praying?

What are the primary differences between a life of watchful prayer and a life of careless prayer?

If we don’t take seriously the warnings about what will happen if we are not diligent in depending on God, then we must accept responsibility for the chaos that follows when we “fall into temptation.”

Talking to God

Bring both your willing spirit and your weak flesh before God today, as you rely on him to help you remain alert to temptation and responsive to the Spirit’s conviction.