Bring People Into Your Pain

Matthew 26:36-38 (NIV) —

‘Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’’

This week we’re going to journey through one of my favourite ‘Jesus moments’ that we read about in the gospels - Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. There’s so much in this passage that speaks to me and I hope the different verses and themes that I pull out will speak to you too.

So let’s set the scene… Jesus has just retreated to Gethsemane with Peter, James and John. He knows he’s about to face the most agonising, painful and humiliating death ever and the weight of what he’s about to do is hitting him full force.

In verses 36 - 38 we see Jesus bringing in the three disciples to this very vulnerable moment, asking them to stay with him, pray and keep watch. In my head, Jesus probably looked like a bit of a mess in front of Peter, James and John as he opened up to them. I’m picturing ugly crying: red face, lots of tears, maybe even a bit of snot.

But to me, this is such a beautiful example of what true friendship looks like; Jesus wanted to bring his friends into the pain that he’s experiencing, he wanted their comfort and their company. He didn't keep them at arm's length or put on a fake smile - he allowed his friends to see his real human emotions.

And if Jesus (who is God) felt the need to show his humanness to his friends, why do we sometimes feel as though we have to act like we’ve got it all together? 

So my challenge for us this week is: Where could you be more vulnerable with the people in your life? Where could you take the opportunity to let trusted friends in on your pain?

Prayer —Thank you Lord that you’ve made us to live in connection with others! Help me to be open and vulnerable with the things going on in my life.