Father, not as I will, but as you will!

There are many prayers in the scripture that do not seem comfortable for us to use in our spiritual journey of praying.  The prayer of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane on the night he was betrayed is one such example.  It was like a stress test that is conducted during a medical check up to determine whether your health is good or not. 

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was under extreme spiritual stress.  He told his close disciples “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). Jesus knew he was about to face the betrayal by one of his chosen disciple. He knew that he will face denial by another chosen disciple, while the rest of them will simply desert him at his most critical moment.  Jesus knew he was going to face false accusations, false witnesses and an unjust trial that will lead to his physical torture and death sentence.

The Gospel writers Mathew and Mark comment that Jesus began to be sorrowful, troubled and deeply distressed. Luke adds that being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. This happened after an angel appeared to him and strengthened him. (Luke 22:43-44).

The climax of the spiritual stress test for Jesus was on the cross, when he cried out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).  Jesus came through all these tests and on the third day, God raised him to life.  Therefore we have a reason to remember the sufferings and death of Jesus and celebrate his resurrection that brings new hope to the world.

Jesus taught his disciples that this is how they should pray: “……your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). We repeat this prayer in liturgy almost daily without really saying it from the depth of our heart.  It is because our will is often in conflict with the Father’s will.  The day we learn to truly pray and surrender “Not my will, but your will” is the day we pass our spiritual stress test and grow to receive the hope of resurrection.  

May the Lord enable us to follow the example of Jesus in full surrender to the heavenly father’s will!                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                       John Amalraj, April 2018