The Hour of Darkness

February 24, 2011

Read Luke 22:39-53

Luke 22:46
“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

In intense warfare and difficult journeys, you need loyal and trusted friends.

One of my favourite characters in the movie, “Lord of the Rings” is Sam, the faithful companion of Frodo. The importance of Sam’s role is captured in Frodo’s words, “Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam.”

As the “hour of darkness” drew near, Jesus was perplexed by his disciples’ inability to stay awake and pray. There was imminent danger and the oppressive air was suffocating him but alas, his companions were oblivious to the intensity of the warfare. Their leader was going to be arrested but the followers were clueless.

Jesus struggled with the Father over what was about to happen. Why? Was he disobedient? Was he unprepared? No.

He had forewarned his disciples of the coming suffering, of the betrayal, of the denials, of the cross and all. So why did he pray for the cup to be removed from him, if possible?

I believe Jesus’ struggle is more of a mental and emotional struggle – the darkness that is going to envelop him, a darkness whereby the utter sense of being forsaken by God overwhelmed the Saviour.

That sense of God-abandonment with the unceasing questionings of ‘did I read God’s will wrongly”, “was there another way”? Doubts assailing his mind and that momentary but intense fear of misreading and misunderstanding God’s will.

We all have those moments – moments whereby we waver and ask if what we are doing is really what God wills. And if we are the leader, or the stakes of what we read as God’s will are high, we will experience that questioning. In that moment of overpowering darkness, our faith in God is not shaken, our desires to do God’s will is there but our fears of misinterpreting God’s desire is also real.

In times like these, we must wrestle through with God. The stakes are high. Our fears are real. Don't skip the process. Don't try to cut short the process.
Wrestle and work through it.

But be assured - the hour of darkness will pass.