The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 538

know that" the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all." We know that he" bare our sins in bis own body on the tree," and we believe that it we.a that terrible burden of sin-the sin of the whole world-that crushed him to the earth. Sin was to his pnre soul most utterly loathsome, most horrible; and, in some mysterious way, it now came close around him, enveloping him with its hateful nearness: a.II the sine of the whole world, from the first sin of Adam to the last sin with which the last of living men will pollute th~ creation of God, all came in one burden of accumulated horror upon "the Lamb of God, which taketh away [beareth] the sins of the world." It was a burden which only he could bear. Only the Sinless One, only he who, though he became perfect Man, was in the truth of his being, perfect God, could put away sin by the tiacrifice of himself. Only he could bear that crushing burden; but it caused him the most intense suffering, unutterable anguish. It was not good for most of the apostles to witness that agony; they could not bear it. He left them at the entrance of the garden. He took the three with him. They had seen the glory of the Transfiguration; the recollections of that effulgent brightness, of those glimpses of the Godhead, might strengthen them in the presence of this more than human sorrow. It seems that the sympathy of these loved and trusted friends, even their very nearness, was some relief to the suffering Lord, as it is with us in our own hour of deep distress. Dying men love to have their dearest friends present with them, watching with them, though they can give no help beyond that sympathizing presence. ~o it was with Christ the Lord,. so true was,hiB humanity. But the extremest anguish he must bear alone; the prayer of completest self-sacrifice he must pray a.lone. Only the Father and the blessed angels might behold that bloody sweat and hear that most earnest prayer. Not even the three _might follow him now. He would have them near; he ea.me to them again and again, as if for sympathy; but the most dread struggle he must face alone. He went a little further into the garden. " He was withdrawn from. them," St. Luke says,; "about a stone's cast." The evangelist uses a strong word-he tore himself from themJ It seems as if the dear Lord could scarcely endure that awful loneliness, and yet he' must be alone. That bitter anguish reveals to us the greatness of his blessed love. 2. The threefold prayer. (1) 'l'he first prayer. The Lord kneeled down upon the ground; then. he foll upon his face in the intensity of his supplication. "0 my Father," he said, "if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." The Lord is an example to us in all things. In this overpowering agony he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears. Pain and -ti:ouble bring the Christian to his God. The greater the pain, the more heartrending .the trouble, the more earnestly he will pray. 'l'he Lord prayed that the cup of .anguish might pass from him, if it were possible. The other evangelists gil'e a slightly different report of his words_: " Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me". (St. Luke); "Abba, Father, all things are possible. unto thee; take away this cup from me" (St. Mark). With God all things a.re possible. But it was not possible to lake away that cup of woe if men were to be saved, as God willed them to be saved, through the cross and Passion of the Lord. It was uot possible, for the cup passed not away. There were, it seems, inscrutable reasons which made that tremen- dous sacrifice necessary for the salvatiou of man and the glory of God. God will not always take the cup of suffering from us. It may be nectssary that we should suffer, for our own good or for the good of others; our sufferings may be contained iu God's eternal pw·pose. Yet we rua.y pray for their removal; we may 11sk God to spare us this or that trial, which seems too great for us to bear. Only we must pray a.II the Lord's prayer, not pa.rt only. His perfect human nature involved a. human will. Tl.uit will was distinct from the Divine will; it was a pure, holy, human will; but, like our will, it shrank from pain and death. The Lord yielded it up in entire submission to bis Father's will: "Not as I will, but as thou wilt." He who is learning to rray that prnyer from the bottom of his heart is very u-ear to Christ. (2) The return to the throe apostles. Thero is a. restlessness in intense grief which, like other sinless humau weaknesses, was experienced by our Lord. He ea.me to the disciples as if seeking for their sympathy, their affection, in his loneliness and exceeding sorrow. But they were asleep. 'l'he same three had slept upon the Mount of the 'l'ra.usfiguration. It seems very strange. But we must remember that it was now very late at night, and the epidtual st.rain upon the apostles during thnt 'l'hursday evening had been immense. 6« THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [oR. xxv1. 1-7&.