And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said to Peter, “So you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40, New American Standard Bible)
If there had been coffee shops during Jesus’ time, I’m convinced He would have taken one look at Peter’s, James’ and John’s sleepy faces at Gethsemane and said, “Hey, you guys, I’m going to need your support in the next several hours and you don’t look like you can hold your heads up much longer. Let’s go to the Bohemian Bean in Jerusalem and I’ll get you each a super-large caramel latte with extra shots of espresso to go!”
Unfortunately, the disciples had no legal artificial stimulant to keep them awake. As a result, they fell asleep three times, even after Jesus implored them to stay awake. They lost valuable time with their best friend during the most difficult night of His life.
My tendency is to point at those men and ask, “How could you disappoint Jesus?” Three fingers are pointing back at me and I ask myself, ‘How many times have I disappointed Jesus?’
Wherever I am, morning or night, I talk to God. He’s my best friend and I’ve failed him in the past, but He’s given me second, third, and fourth chances. We have lost time to make up for!
Prayer: God, You are patient with us beyond measure. You know we are weak and tired and don’t deserve Your patience or grace, but You extend them anyway. Give us wisdom to know when a circumstance needs our full attention for Your sake.
Writing of Kayleen Reusser 
Leave a Reply