Begging From God

Meditation for the day taken from Everyday Prayer with John Calvin written by Donald McKim:

Scripture Meditation: Matthew 26:36-46.

The account under consideration is a familiar one. We know the story and the events within it. The fact that we are very familiar with these things sometimes clouds our vision and does not allow us to mine the more profound truths contained within the narrative as penned by the Spirit of God. A few observations are worthy to note before applying the thrust of the passage to our own prayer life. First, note that Jesus brings his eleven disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane (26:36). There is an aspect in which he teaches and instructs his disciples, preparing them for the labor ahead. Second, note the movement of the Savior as he enters into prayer. The first movement leaves eight disciples further away from him. the second movement finds Jesus bringing the inner circle - Peter, James, and John - with him further into the garden. The third movement finds Jesus alone with his Father in prayer. Though I am not ready to be completely dogmatic, the thrust of these three movements reminds me of the activity that surrounded the work at the tabernacle. The tabernacle was surrounded by the "outer court" where the people of God could enter. The next area of the tabernacle is the holy place where only the priests could enter. The third area of the tabernacle is the most holy place where only the high priest was allowed to enter. If you follow the movement of the Savior, you have a representation of those activities of old: the eight disciples were left in the outer court; the three disciples of the inner circle moved with Jesus into the holy place and told to remain there. Only then does the Great High Priest enter the most inner section of the garden to pray to His Father. The picture is striking. It is in this third area and the activity of Jesus that we learn much about prayer.

Jesus prayed, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (26:39). What moved the Savior to pray this way? The answer is found in 26:38, "My soul is very sorrowful and troubled." Here, the very humanity of Christ comes forward as he ponders the events that will soon take place in his life. Throughout his earthly ministry, everything that has happened to Jesus was preparing him for this moment and work - a work of redeeming sinners by offering his life a ransom for many. He was very aware of this yet was troubled and sorrowful while knowing, at the same time, that his Father's will must be accomplished. Put a different way, Jesus prayed in complete submission to his Father's will while also begging for relief from what troubled him. That is how we must pray.

Calvin, commenting on this portion of Scripture, wrote, "We see how prayers may be holy which appear to differ from the will of God, for He does not with us to ask always with exactness and scruple what He has decreed, but allows us to beg from Him what our intelligence can grasp as desirable." (80). McKim adds, "This is a word of encouragement for us. We ought always to orient our prayers toward seeking to be obedient to the divine will. But this does not mean we cannot be honest in our prayers -- we can tell our hopes and desires to God. He will "sort it all out," even as we beg him for whatever our deepest longing may be." (80). It is precisely through prayer that while we pour out our deepest longings and desires that our will is molded to the divine will. While we may not fully understand the mind of God as we beg from him that which we desire, we also know that as we do, he will conform us and make us ready to receive his answer and purpose even if that answer is contrary to that which we prayed. "We trust that God's will and purposes will become plain -- and then when they do, we give ourselves to them." (McKim, 80).