Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew

Matt. XXVI. 36-38.

“Then comes Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and says unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy: and He says unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here, and watch with me.”

Because they clung to Him inseparably, therefore He says, “Tarry ye here, while I go away and pray.” For it was usual with Him to pray apart from them. And this He did teaching us in our prayers, to prepare silence for ourselves and great retirement.

And He takes with Him the three, and says unto them, “my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.” Wherefore does He not take all with Him? That they might not be cast down; but these He takes that had been spectators of His glory. However, even these He dismisses: “And He went on a little farther, and prays, saying, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as You will. And He comes unto them, and finds them sleeping, and says unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Not without reason does He inveigh against Peter most, although the others also had slept; but to make him feel by this also, for the cause which I mentioned before. Then because the others also said the same thing (for when Peter had said (these are the words), “Though I must die with You, I will not deny You; likewise also,” it is added, “said all the disciples”); He addresses Himself to all, convicting their weakness. For they who are desiring to die with Him, were not then able so much as to sorrow with Him wakefully, but sleep overcame them.

And He prays with earnestness, in order that the thing might not seem to be acting. And sweats flow over him for the same cause again, even that the heretics might not say this, that He acts the agony. Therefore there is a sweat like drops of blood, and an angel appeared strengthening Him, and a thousand sure signs of fear, lest any one should affirm the words to be feigned. For this cause also was this prayer. By saying then, “If it be possible, let it pass from me,” He showed His humanity; but by saying, “Nevertheless not as I will, but as You will,” He showed His virtue and self-command, teaching us even when nature pulls us back, to follow God. For since it was not enough for the foolish to show His face only, He uses words also. Again, words sufficed not alone, but deeds likewise were needed; these also He joins with the words, that even they who are in a high degree contentious may believe, that He both became man and died. For if, even when these things are so, this be still disbelieved by some, much more, if these had not been. See by how many things He shows the reality of the incarnation: by what He speaks, by what He suffers. After that He comes and says to Peter, as it is said, “What, couldest thou not watch one hour with me?” All were sleeping, and He re bukes Peter, hinting at him, in what He spoke. And the words, “with me,” are not employed without reason; it is as though He had said, You could not watch with me one hour, and will you lay down your life for me? And what follows also, intimates this self-same thing. For “Watch,” says He, “and pray not to enter into temptation.” See how He is again instructing them not to be self-confident, but contrite in mind, and to be humble, and to refer all to God.

And at one time He addresses Himself to Peter, at another to all in common. And to him He says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for you;” and to all in common, “Pray that you enter not into temptation;” every way plucking up their self-will, and making them earnest-minded. Then, that He might not seem to make His language altogether condemnatory, He says, “The spirit indeed is ready, but the flesh is weak.” For even although thou dost desire to despise death, yet you will not be able, until God stretch forth His hand, for the carnal mind draws down.

And again He prayed in the same way, saying, “Father, if this cannot pass from me except I drink it, Your will be done,” showing here, that He fully harmonizes with God's will, and that we must always follow this, and seek after it.

“And He came and found them asleep.” For besides that it was late at night, their eyes also were weighed down by their despondency. And the third time He went and spoke the same thing, establishing the fact, that He was become man. For the second and third time is in the Scriptures especially indicative of truth; like as Joseph also said to Pharaoh, “Did the dream appear to you the second time? For truth was this done, and that you might be assured that this shall surely be.” Therefore He too once, and twice, and three times spoke the same thing, for the sake of proving the incarnation.

And wherefore came He the second time? In order to reprove them, for that they were so drowned in despondency, as not to have any sense even of His presence. He did not however reprove them, but stood apart from them a little, showing their unspeakable weakness, that not even when they had been rebuked, were they able to endure. But He does not awake and rebuke them again, lest He should smite them that were already smitten, but He went away and prayed, and when He has come back again, He says, “Sleep on now, and take your rest.” And yet then there was need to be wakeful, but to show that they will not bear so much as the sight of the dangers, but will be put to flight and desert Him from their terror, and that He has no need of their succor, and that He must by all means be delivered up, “Sleep on now,” He says, “and take your rest; behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.”

He shows again that what is done belongs to a divine dispensation.

2. But He does not this only, but also, by saying, “into the hands of sinners,” He cheers up their minds, showing it was the effect of their wickedness, not of His being liable to any charge.

“Rise, let us be going; behold, he is at hand that does betray me.” For by all means He taught them, that the matter was not of necessity, nor of weakness, but of some secret dispensation. For, as we see, He foreknew that Judas would come, and so far from flying, He even went to meet him. At any rate, “While He yet spoke, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.” Seemly surely are the instruments of the priests! “with swords and staves” do they come against Him! And Judas, it is said, with them, one of the twelve. Again he calls him “of the twelve,” and is not ashamed. Now he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He, hold Him fast.” Oh! What depravity had the traitor's soul received. For with what kind of eyes did he then look at his Master? With what mouth did he kiss Him? Oh! accursed purpose; what did he devise? What did he dare? What sort of sign of betrayal did he give? Whomsoever I shall kiss, he says. He was emboldened by his Master's gentleness, which more than all was sufficient to shame him, and to deprive him of all excuse for that he was betraying one so meek.