THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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What is sorrow?
THe Habbe in French West Africa say, "My liver is sick."
The Bambara, for sorrow say, "My eye is black."
THe Mossie people say, "The heart is spoiled."
The Uduks, on the Ethiopian border of Sudan say, "Sorrow is a heavy stomach."
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Matt 26:38-39
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
KJV
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At the Mount of Olives, where the "press" is used to smash the olives and release the oil, Jesus felt DEEP SORROW. Psalm 55:4 describes it as the heart being "sore pained" and the "sorrows of death are fallen upon me."
There is no doubt that Jesus KNEW He was facing the crucifixion. He KNEW He was the "Lamb of God," meant to be the sacrifice for all men's sin.
This understanding made him "sorrowful, even unto death." And it drove him to PRAYER! In this short instance, we learn much from our Lord about prayer.
There are many kinds of prayer: family prayer, social prayer, open prayer in church. But the one that is most meaningful is PRIVATE prayer. The rose has its sweetest smell when it is crushed! Jesus "went a little further" to pray alone in this most sorrowful of times. In times of distress, call upon your faithful friends to aid you in offering prayers on your behalf. But go to your "closet" and pray ALONE!
In HUMILITY He "fell on His face." Here is brokenness. Here is acknowledgment of complete and total ineptness. Even Christ could not face the horror of the cross without the empowering of His Holy Father. How much more should WE come to God in brokenness.
Jesus prayed with FAMILIARITY. He cried, "O my Father!" We have no entrance before the Holy God except we come as adopted children, begging and pleading as a child to his father. We have forfeited all rights because of our sin. But we can come to God through the precious name of JESUS! We are granted the privilege of calling Him "Abba Father," DEAR Father.
In the following verses, 40-44, we find that Jesus prayed three times. This was PERSERVERING prayer. He quit not until He received answer. Remember the story of the widow who appeared continually before the unjust judge until she was granted her request (Luke 18:1-8). Fail not in your prayer before God for He is JUST. Continue until you receive answer. And be not afraid if it is "NO!" Jesus' answer in this prayer was "NO!"
Christ's prayer was a prayer of RESIGNATION. He laid His desires before God, but He submitted to God's WILL. As Christians we are allowed to present our desires to God. But we should come realizing that we are His SERVANTS, and should be satisfied with HIS WILL - not our desires. The steps of a "good" man are not ordered by himself, but by the LORD (Psalm 37:23)
When the "liver is sick," the "eye is black," the heart is "spoiled," or the stomach is "heavy," come to the Lord in PRAYER. Come humbly, with familiarity, continually and with resignation.
Love ya,
Bruce