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45. Jesus'
discourses to his Disciples. Events in Gethsemane.
The Lord said to his
disciples, “I am with you a little while longer. Love one another as I
have loved you; by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if
you have love for one another.” Peter asked him where he was going. The
Lord replied: “Where I am going, you cannot follow me this time.” Peter
said: “Why should I not be able to follow you? I will lay down my life
for you. If everyone forsakes you, I will not forsake you.” Jesus said
to him: “You would lay down your life for me? Truly, before the cock
crows (that is, before the day comes), you will deny me three times.”
He also admonished and comforted them with other words and promised them
the sending and assistance of the Holy Spirit when he would no longer be
with them. “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth;
and he shall guide you into all truth.” Finally, he prayed for them and
for all who would still believe in him through their word, that we may
remain one in him and that God may one day bring us to him in his glory,
which God has given him.
After these words, he went with them to a garden called Gethsemane. In
the garden he said to them: “Sit down here! I will go there and pray.”
But he took Peter, James and John with him. Now he began to mourn and to
tremble. “My soul,” he said, ”is sorrowful even unto death. Stay here
and watch with me!” Then he walked a few more steps alone, prostrated
himself on the ground in anguish and prayed that God would save him from
the terrible suffering that awaited him. “My Father,” he prayed, ”if it
is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you
will.”
When he returned to his disciples, as if to seek comfort from them, they
were asleep. Then he said to them, “Can you not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” He did the
same thing a second and a third time, as is customary in affliction and
fear. Soon the troubled heart prefers to be alone and pray. Soon it
seeks comfort and strength from friendly people. But when he returned
for the third time and found the disciples sleeping, he said: “Oh, will
you just sleep and rest! Behold, the hour is here for the Son of Man to
be delivered into the hands of sinners. Arise,” he said, ”let us go.
Behold, my betrayer is here.”
While he was still speaking, Judas the wicked came into the garden,
bringing with him a band of officers and soldiers with torches, swords
and staves. So he went up to Jesus, greeted and kissed him: “Hail,
Rabbi!” He had agreed this sign with his companions: “Whomsoever I shall
kiss, it is he.” For they did not know Jesus, not at all in the dark. It
was a deep pain for the pious, holy mind of Jesus that the beautiful
sign of friendship and love, greeting and kiss, could be misused for
such shameful disloyalty. “Why,” he said, ”have you come? Judas, do you
betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” But when the disciples saw what was
to become of the matter - the pious Jesus was attacked and arrested like
a criminal - they initially wanted to use violence against violence.
Peter even attacked one of the soldiers with his sword drawn and wounded
him. Only Jesus remained calm and level-headed in the most alarming and
terrible moment. Where the ordinary man no longer knows what he is doing,
God gives reflection and calm to the pious and innocent heart. He said
to Peter: “Put your sword into its sheath, for whoever uses the sword
will perish by the sword. Or shall I not drink the cup that my Father
has given me?”
For he knew that God wanted to do people great good through his death.
So he willingly allowed himself to be bound and led away from their
midst. At that moment all the disciples left him and fled.
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