This is only 11 verses, and yet there is so much going on. Jesus is broken hearted, thinking about the ordeal that awaits him, asking God if there is another way out. (Note: it's okay to ask God for alternatives when you don't like what's in front of you. This isn't freedom to disobey, but it is freedom to ask God big questions as we try and understand better what God is doing.) (Note 2: Again, verses like this support the claim that this is how it happened. If the disciples made this up, would they have written it this way? Would they have Jesus begging for an alternative? Or would they skip that part and have him going bravely to meet the enemy, filled with confidence?)
Jesus then discovers that the disciples cannot stay awake. The one thing he asks of them, they cannot do. Laziness creeps up over the best of their intentions. Mark notes that the disciples didn't have a plausible excuse... they were simply tired.
We've all been here, right? Simply tired. Worn out from all sorts of things, without a great excuse, and missing out on our spiritual responsibilities. Guess what? Join the crowd. The disciples set a precedent for us. It's not an excuse... but a reminder that you are human, just as Peter was.
Finally, Jesus goes to meet his betrayer, who has been a friend for years. He goes to meet his fate, motivated by love for you, for me, for us.
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