Keep Going, Keep Trusting, Keep Praying

July 14, 2024

“Keep going, keep trusting, keep praying” – July 14th, 2024 (Mark 14)

Today we’re going to look at three consecutive passages in roughly the middle third of Mark chapter 14. As always, I encourage you to read the whole chapter in this journey we’re taking through the entire gospel of Mark. It’s important that you note that when we pick up the narrative we are about to read today, Jesus has just eaten the Passover meal with his disciples. Although they didn’t know it yet, this meal they’d just shared together would ever afterwards be known as “The Last Supper.”

Exodus 12 tells us that the Passover meal includes roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. There is an obligation to drink four cups of wine during this ritual meal. Jesus’ contemporary and Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria noted that the Passover banquet included hymns and prayers. We come into the story towards the very end of this Passover meal. The gospel of John tells us in John 13 that by this point, Judas had already left the room. As we look at Mark chapter 14 today, we’re going to learn three things that Jesus told his disciples to keep doing.

1. Keep going

Let’s pick up the action in Mark 14:26-31 (NRSV) – “When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, ‘You will all become deserters; for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’ Peter said to him, ‘Even though all become deserters, I will not.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ But he said vehemently, ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And all of them said the same.”

Imagine how the disciples felt when they heard Jesus say the three things he said in this passage:

You will all become deserters
God will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered
After Jesus is raised up, he would go before them to Galilee.

Peter and the other disciples do not seem to have heard the promise or the hope in Jesus’ third statement. Remember, these Jewish followers of Jesus had no understanding at all about a bodily resurrection in this life, only the possibility of resurrection at the end of days. The disciples seem to also have paid little attention to Jesus’ second statement, that God would strike the shepherd and the sheep would be scattered, a prophecy from Zechariah 13:7. The disciples focused on Jesus’ first statement, a sadly accurate prediction that “you will all become deserters.” Peter doesn’t brush this off with a “No, I won’t” or some other casual denial. We gotta love Peter, in spite of his insecurities and exaggerations. Peter claims, “Even though all become deserters, I will not.” A second time, Peter says, vehemently, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” The Greek words used here indicate that Peter kept on saying these things, and we are told that “all of them said the same.”

As it turns out, that same evening, after Jesus prayed in a garden, none of them kept those promises. Every single one of them deserted Jesus, as he had warned them earlier that day. We’re not here to judge the disciples. But let’s notice why Jesus’ words hit them so hard. Up until very recently, for three years, Jesus had been their rabbi, teacher, leader, and constant companion. Jesus had equipped them, escorted them, instructed them, and inspired them. Jesus had consistently proclaimed and demonstrated the good news of the kingdom of God everywhere they’d gone together. Suddenly, Jesus announces that he, the shepherd, would be struck [by God], the sheep would be scattered, and “you will all become deserters.” What? Where did this come from? We’ve looked several times during this sermon series at the ways in which Jesus’ disciples did not hear his warnings about what was about to happen. We’re at that part of the narrative now where they’re already engulfed in the most dangerous rapids. There is no chance of turning back, no getting out of what is about to happen that very day. Why does Jesus tell his disciples they’re all about to become deserters? It isn’t to shame them. It isn’t to berate them. He tells them because he knows what they’re about to face. Jesus encourages his disciples to keep going throughout and in spite of the inevitable hardships to come.

How do we keep going when we find ourselves engulfed by rapids? I looked up some tips for navigating class V rapids, all of which turn out to point to some very sound advice given to early followers of Jesus which remain applicable to us today:

Point your feet forward. Hebrews 12:1-2a – “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”
Distribute your weight. Galatians 6:2 – “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Paddle hard. 1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Listen well to your guide. John 14:26 – “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”
Turn and face obstacles. 2 Corinthians 12:10 – “I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”
Follow the guide. John 10:27-28 – “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Jesus wants us to keep going throughout and in spite of inevitable hardships to come.

2. Keep trusting

We continue the narrative in Mark 14:32-41a (NRSV) – “They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.’ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.’ He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?”

Jesus is fully human: no human of sound mind wants to suffer purely for the sake of suffering. Years later, the author of Hebrews would write about Jesus in Hebrews 4:14-15 – “Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.” It is because Jesus is fully human that Jesus is the high priest spoken of in Hebrews 4:15. Jesus understands and sympathizes with the weaknesses of every human, including the disciples’. Also, as is the case with every human, Jesus was tested in every respect. The difference between every human and Jesus is simply this: Although every other human sins, Jesus is without sin.

In today’s passage, Mark 14:35-36a mentions two things that Jesus prayed: “if it were possible, the hour might pass from him,” and “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me.” It is not a sin for Jesus to ask the Father that the hour might pass from him or to remove this cup from him. Jesus had promised his disciples in Mark 10:39 that “the cup that I drink you will drink.” The hour and the cup both signified Jesus’ imminent death. The hour had come, and they had all drunk the cup. Yet now, all of them had deserted Jesus in his suffering.

Let’s go back to what happened that day. Jesus has just told the disciples that they’re all going to desert him. Now in this garden called Gethsemane, Jesus is distressed and agitated, deeply grieved even to death. He throws himself on the ground in severe emotional anguish. Have you ever found yourself in a situation that is so raw and so real, so horrific and so human, a situation in which a part of you wished you were somewhere else? And yet another part of you could not turn away? You might feel so torn that you face a scene like this with your hand over your eyes while also peering through the gaps between your fingers. Jesus’ agony is palpable. Even while Jesus affirms to his heavenly Father that “for you all things are possible,” he asks God to remove this cup from him. The Gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus prays and says the same words not once, not twice, but three times. Jesus doesn’t face his imminent suffering with careless compliance, docile detachment, or endless endurance. Jesus experiences raw and real human horror precisely because Jesus is fully human.

And yet Jesus is also fully God. Philippians 2:6-8 tells us that “though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.” Jesus, although fully God, emptied himself and laid down his rights as God. By praying, “not what I want, but what you want,” Jesus, although tormented and torn, surrenders fully to the will of God. By telling his disciples, “The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners,” Jesus encourages his disciples to keep trusting God even in the face of suffering.

How do we keep trusting God when we are tormented and torn? Pastor and theologian Derek W. H. Thomas points us to Job when we are tormented and torn: Job 13:15 (NLT) – “God might kill me, but I have no other hope.” Thomas points us to three things about trials that can help us to keep trusting God.

Trials teach us something about who God is. Job 34:12 – “Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice.” Through trials, God reminds us that our suffering does not define God’s character, because God’s character does not change. In trials, God leads us to appreciate something of His mercy.
Trials teach us something about who we are. Job 36:15 – “He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear by adversity.” When difficulty comes our way, we might get angry or question God’s goodness or forget that God is sovereign. Jesus invites us to take up our cross and follow Him. This means that we are to deny ourselves, our rights, our status, and our privileges, and follow Jesus.
Trials invite us to rest in God. Isaiah 30:15 – “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Because God is sovereign, we do not have a right to have all the answers for our suffering. Trials help remind us to return to God, rest in God, be quiet in God, and rest in God.

Jesus wants us to keep trusting God even in the face of suffering.

3. Keep praying

Mark 14:41b-42,50-52 (NRSV) – “‘Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.’ … All of them deserted him and fled. A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.”

While in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had told his disciples to do three things: “Sit here while I pray”; “remain here, and keep awake”; and “Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Suddenly, Judas the betrayer arrives and ambushes Jesus with a kiss. This is such a significant betrayal that the church mourns it on a day known as Spy Wednesday each year, the Wednesday of Holy Week, the Wednesday before Easter Sunday. Judas’ actions are those of a spy hidden among the disciples. The only person who can betray you is someone with whom you are in a trusted relationship, a friend or family member. Throughout history, betrayals have been considered among the most vile and cowardly acts that a person could do to someone else. Betrayal causes deep-seated anger, considerable confusion, and unspeakable pain. 2600 years ago, Greek storyteller Aesop wrote “Betray a friend and you’ll often find you have ruined yourself.” Contemporary Japanese author Mineko Iwasaki, formerly the most famous geisha in Japan, wrote, “Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime.”

Jesus’ prayer time in the garden with his sleepy and speechless disciples abruptly ends when he sees his betrayer and says, “Get up, let us be going.” Jesus has repeatedly warned his disciples about the coming hardships and suffering which is now evident. Chaos is upon them. The disciples are overwhelmed and confused. When we come to verse 50, Mark’s description helps us to enter into the disciples’ utter hopelessness and despair. He doesn’t consider them worthy of even being called disciples at this point, and simply writes, “all of them deserted him and fled.”

The final statement in this garden scene mentions “a certain young man” (very likely Mark himself) who “ran off naked.” What an interesting thing to mention at this point in the narrative! Why would the gospel writer in Mark mention a man who ran off naked? Maybe he was thinking back to the other garden, the Garden of Eden, when “the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed” (Genesis 1:25). But after deciding to trust in their own thoughts and ways instead of God’s, going against what God had commanded the two of them, the man said to God, “I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). In the Garden of Eden, life in harmony with God, creation, and one another is depicted as nakedness without shame. Life out of harmony with God, creation, and one another equates nakedness with vulnerability and weakness. When we decide to trust ourselves or anyone or anything other than God, what we’re actually doing is making a declaration of independence from God. Our creator designed us to live interdependently with God, creation, and one another! To live with our ultimate trust in anyone or anything other than God is to make an intentional choice to become responsible for our own vulnerabilities and weaknesses. It is to choose to live in apathy or anxiety about the future, precisely because we are, in fact, not God. There are a lot of things we can do, but being God is not one of them. Jesus encourages his disciples to keep praying even as he realizes they’re tempted to run away. Like I said, we’re not here to judge the disciples (who did, in fact, all run away, but then went on to become holy heroes for all followers of Christ to come, including us!). We have much to learn from what Jesus told his disciples to keep doing. How do we keep praying when we are overwhelmed or confused?

Ignatian-trained spiritual director and author Becky Eldredge offers two things she leans on at times like this. Eldredge’s first suggestion is to list all the points of confusion and uncertainty that you have, all anxiety and fears both big and small, whatever brings peace and whatever brings frustration. Then, take these lists in prayer and offer them to God. She encourages us to name our feelings as we offer these lists to God, both our consolations and our desolations.

Eldredge’s second suggestion is to pray this prayer from Thomas Merton:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.

Jesus wants us to keep praying even when we’re tempted to run away.

In conclusion, let’s remember the three things Jesus tells us to keep doing:

When we find ourselves engulfed by rapids, keep going throughout and in spite of inevitable hardships to come.
When we are tormented and torn, keep trusting God even in the face of suffering.
When we are overwhelmed or confused, keep praying even when we’re tempted to run away.

Jesus’ instructions are as relevant as ever to the church today. We, too, are called to live in the middle of hardships, suffering, and temptations to run away. The words Jesus spoke to his disciples shortly after his death and resurrection remain as solid to us who follow Jesus today as they were 2000 years ago, in Matthew 28:18-20 – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”