On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus came to a place called the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36). He told his disciples to sit, while He went to pray (Matt. 26:37). In anticipation of his imminent death, He became deeply distressed and full of anguish (Matt. 26:37). He told his disciples about His deep distress and anguish and asked them to, “keep watch with Me” (Matt. 26:38). Then “He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will’” (Matt. 26:39). Then, Jesus came back to His disciples, where He found them sleeping (Matt. 26:40). Jesus said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?” (Matt. 26:40). Further, Jesus told them, “Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). Then, Jesus “went away a second time, and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done’” (Matt. 26:42). He then came and found His disciples again sleeping (Matt. 26:43). Then, for the third time, Jesus repeated His prayer to His Father (Matt. 26:44). After the completion of His third prayer to His Father, He came to the disciples and said, “Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners” (Matt. 26:45).
We demonstrate love for God and others when we seek and accept God’s will above our own. When Jesus accepted the will of His Father over His own will, He demonstrated love for His Father and others. We are required to do the same. During His time of great distress and anguish, Jesus’s companions did not have the capacity to “keep watch” with Him. However, Jesus did not overreact to their lack of capacity. He remained in His Father’s will, and He spoke to them in a measured manner, carefully choosing His words. He spoke carefully and measuredly even though He was under great pressure.
We humans often get very confused about the true meaning of the word “love.” It is really quite simple, but sometimes, very hard to execute. We must simply put God’s will above our own. We can only ascertain God’s will by His Spirit, by His Word, and by His Providence (meaning His provision for us in time and eternity). Lust (inordinate desire) is out of sync with God’s Spirit, God’s Word, and God’s Providence. If we, more and more, function in God’s love, we will experience righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We will become happier and more balanced people. Sometimes, like Jesus, we must make some hard decisions. Sometimes, we are going to be under a lot of pressure, but like Him, we must choose the Father’s will above our own. This is the true meaning of the word “love.”
“Clarity” is a state of lucidity, clearness, understanding, and a lack of ambiguity.[1] Human clarity is achieved by humans when we understand and function in a way in which God’s will takes priority over our will. This is what it means to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor.
[1] “Clarity.” Random House, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/clarity. Accessed 24 April 2023.
