This passage speaks to me of the complete aloneness Christ experienced in the garden. The devastating and ironic dichotomy he faced: the power given in being the Son of Man to teach, heal and enlighten; and, succumbing to the total powerlessness of His human crisis. It also reveals to me both the human and divine natures of our faith.
Regardless of his love, miracles demonstrated and lessons taught, Jesus’ closest friends did not stand with him. Engulfed by their own terrors, they escaped their burden of friendship through sleep. By their actions, Christ was stripped of both their comfort and diversion from singly facing this crisis. He was truly alone.
Searching through ardent, passionate prayer, Christ faced extreme fear, anger, humility, betrayal and other depths of emotions known only to one of human senses. Seeking deliverance came from his humanness - only to be answered by unearthly love and grace. No human - friend or power - could deliver Him from this agony. His human needs required divine grace. Upon receiving this through God’s angel messenger, he was strengthened and prayed more earnestly.
So to with us when confronted by fears, the recent loss of innocents, the stealing of human comfort by acts of nature, we face the same primal needs for clarity and deliverance. We demand answers, understanding, and comfort of others. While helpful, these too are only a diversion from embracing the test of faith these situations present to us. Ultimate clarity and deliverance come when we are completely alone, completely vulnerable, and ask for the Divine, the Spirit - a deeper level of faith to sustain and help us through what we face.
“I Walk Through The Garden Alone...” While we must be completely alone to truly experience both the human and divine natures of our faith, we are never without Divine love or the company of grace in delivering us from our distress.
Dorlene Evans
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