To follow the Fathers Will

I go to an amazing church. A church where I'm challenged in my faith not just on sundays, but every day of the week! If you had told me a few years ago that I would be going to two bible studies a week on top of the Sunday church service and the three services a week at Liberty, I would have thought you were absolutely crazy.

But what is crazy about all of this, is that sometimes even the 6 scheduled times a week that I attend some type of "meeting" about the Lord, is just not enough.

Don't get me wrong... This doesn't come naturally, you have to really want it and you have to be persistent. But once you find it, it's a beautiful beautiful thing.

It's one thing to tell you that my church challenges me, but it's another to show you and share with you what they have challenged me with.

The challenge: Read through the entire New Testament 

I read Matthew 26 today and I came across something really incredible. Particularly in verses 36-42.

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples,“Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

• Jesus is literally on his hands and knees praying to God because he knows that his time is coming to an end. This is shown in verse 39. What really sticks out to me here is that as his face lay on the ground he says, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as i will, but as you will."

Often times, people think of Jesus as this great and perfect God who is above all and therefore cannot relate to anything that we could possibly be going through, but the truth of the matter is, HE CAN RELATE!

To see here in these verses that Jesus himself was wanting, struggling, but still wanting to follow the Lords will is something to take note of. It really shows how important it is to make sure that we are not seeking our own will, but the Lord's. If Jesus is doing it, how much more should we then do it?

• After Jesus sees that his disciples have fallen asleep, he gets frustrated (another thing that makes Him relatable) and then returns to the tree to pray again. Now, if you notice his second prayer is not the same as the first, but it has changed slightly. If you look at verse 42 it says, "Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done."

If you notice the first prayer, Jesus asks if it is possible that he may not have to take the cup (but still Lord willing). However, the second time, he straightforwardly asks something along the lines of "If it's not possible, then it's okay." It seems as if at first he reacts just as we might by trying to get what we want to also be what Jesus wants and then he turns around and changes his wording because he knows what is right.


Question: Do you agree or disagree? Did you interpret these verses differently? Feel free to share!