Word@Work177 - Mark 14:39-40
Published: Wed, 07/30/08
Word@Work from BeaconLight
Read Mark 14:39-40 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. (NIV)
The rebuke of Jesus to His sleepy disciples (cf Mark 14:37-38) should have been enough to jolt them into apology, and a determination to stay awake. Far from it! As Jesus returned to pray, the trusted men returned to sleep. The Master's task was unchanged and the disciples remained unmoved. They were on different tracks. In Bible language, "They did not know what to say", meant that they knew that they had no excuse, Jesus was right and they were in the wrong. But Satan's lies had already been swallowed and they were paralysed. They could not change their pattern of behaviour.
The reason for sleep is stated very simply, "... their eyes were heavy". Their spiritually motivated will had given up, and the flesh took over, leaving them open to temptation just as Jesus had predicted. The first temptation was to ignore Jesus' command to watch him (it parallels Satan first temptation in Genesis 3:1 to doubt the authority of God's Word), and to assume that it did not matter. But Jesus would only have asked them to watch while He prayed if it did matter! So, for a second time the disciples chose to make up their own mind on whether the Divine Word mattered. Their conclusion was 'No'. They were so wrong!
Repeated reinterpretation of Scripture to suit personal circumstances (which is really serial disobedience) is exceptionally dangerous. Not only does it label the offender as having wilful arrogance, it frustrates the purposes of God: but worse, it opens up a motorway for truckloads of demonic temptations. Let's not even think of going there. 'Trust and obey', the old hymn says - so lets do it!
Prayer: Father God. Please forgive my attempts at reinterpreting Your Word to suit my own convenience. Help me to take what You say at face value, and do it, so that Satan will not have an easy foothold to launch more attacks. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
The rebuke of Jesus to His sleepy disciples (cf Mark 14:37-38) should have been enough to jolt them into apology, and a determination to stay awake. Far from it! As Jesus returned to pray, the trusted men returned to sleep. The Master's task was unchanged and the disciples remained unmoved. They were on different tracks. In Bible language, "They did not know what to say", meant that they knew that they had no excuse, Jesus was right and they were in the wrong. But Satan's lies had already been swallowed and they were paralysed. They could not change their pattern of behaviour.
The reason for sleep is stated very simply, "... their eyes were heavy". Their spiritually motivated will had given up, and the flesh took over, leaving them open to temptation just as Jesus had predicted. The first temptation was to ignore Jesus' command to watch him (it parallels Satan first temptation in Genesis 3:1 to doubt the authority of God's Word), and to assume that it did not matter. But Jesus would only have asked them to watch while He prayed if it did matter! So, for a second time the disciples chose to make up their own mind on whether the Divine Word mattered. Their conclusion was 'No'. They were so wrong!
Repeated reinterpretation of Scripture to suit personal circumstances (which is really serial disobedience) is exceptionally dangerous. Not only does it label the offender as having wilful arrogance, it frustrates the purposes of God: but worse, it opens up a motorway for truckloads of demonic temptations. Let's not even think of going there. 'Trust and obey', the old hymn says - so lets do it!
Prayer: Father God. Please forgive my attempts at reinterpreting Your Word to suit my own convenience. Help me to take what You say at face value, and do it, so that Satan will not have an easy foothold to launch more attacks. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
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