Ver. 33.—It appears that our Lord sepa- rated himself from all the disciples except Peter and James and John, and then the bitter agony began. He began to be greatly amazed, and sore troubled (éxOayBetc@a Kab adnpoveiy). These two Greek verbs are as adequately expressed above as seems possible, The first implies “utter, extreme amaze- ment;” if the second has for its root &dnuos, “not at home,” it implies the anguish of the soul struggling to free itself from the body under the pressure of intense mental distress. The three chosen disciples were allowed to be witnesses of this awful
anguish. They had been fortified to en- dure the sight by the glories of the trans- figuration. It would have been too much for the faith of the rest. But these three wit- nessed it, that they might learn themselves, and be able to teach others, that the way to glory is by suffering.
Ver. 34.—None but he who bore those sorrows can know what they were. It was not the apprehension of the bodily torments and the bitter death that awaited him, all foreknown by him. It was the inconceiv- able agony of the weight of the sins of © men. The Lord was thus laying “upon him the iniquity of us all.” This, and this alone, can explain it. My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death. Every word carries the emphasis of an overwhelming grief. It was then that “the deep waters came in,” even unto his soul. “ What,’ says Cornelius & Lapide, “ must have beer the voice, the countenance, the expression, as he uttered those awful words!”
Ver. 35.—Our Lord now separated him- self, though apparently, as St. Luke (xxii. 41) says, only “about a stone’s cast” from the three disciples, and threw himself on the ground in mortal agony, and prayed that this hour of his supreme mental anguish might, if possible, pass from him.
Ver. 36.—And he said, Abba, Father. Some commentators suppose that our Lord only used the Hebrew or Aramaic word « Abba,” and that St. Mark adds the Greek and Latin synonym (zarip) for the benefit of those to whom he was writing. But it is far more natural to conclude that St. Mark is here taking his narrative from an eye and ear witness, St. Peter ; and that both the words were uttered by him; so that he thus, in his agony, cried to God in the name of the whole human family, the Jew first, and also the Gentile. We can quite understand why St. Matthew, writing to Jews, gives only the Hebrew word. things are possible unto thee. Speaking absolutely, with God nothing is impossible. But the Deity is himself bound by his own laws; and hence this was impossible, consistently with his purposes of mercy for the redemption of the world. The Lord himself knew this. Therefore he does not ask for anything con- trary to the will of his Father. But it was the natural craving of his humanity, whieh, subject to the supreme will of God, desired to be delivered from this terrible load. Remove this cup fromme. The “cup,” both in Holy Scripture and in profane writers, is taken to signify that lot or portion, whether good or evil, which is appointed for us by God. Hence St. John is frequently repre- sented asholding asup. Howbeit, not what I will, but whet thou wilt. Our Lord has no gooner offered his conditional prayer than
on. xIv. 1—72.] IT'HE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK.
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he subordinates it to the will of God. St. Luke (xxii. 42) here says, “ Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Hence it appears that there was not, as the Monothe- lites taught, one will, partly humanand partly Divine, in Christ; but there were two dis- tinct wills, one human and the other Divine, both residing in the one Christ; and it was by the subjecting of his human will to the Divine that he wrought out our redemption.
Ver. 37.—And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, Bleepest thon? Couldest thou not watch one hour? St. Luke says (xxii. 45) that they were “sleeping for sorrow.” §So on the Mount of Transfiguration he says (ix. 32) that they were “ heavy with sleep.” This rebuke, which St. Mark tells us here was pointedly addressed to Peter, seems to glance at his earnest protestations of fidelity made not long before. And our Lord calls him by his old name of Simon. In 8t. Matthew (xxvi. 40) it is less pointed; for there, while our Lord looks at Peter, he addresses them all. “ He saith unto Peter, What, could not ye watch with me one hour?” This is just one of those graphic little incidents which we may suppose St. Mark to have received directly from St. Peter.
Ver. 38.—Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The great temptation of the disciples at that moment was to deny Christ. under the influence of fear. And so our Lord gives here the true remedy against temptation of every kind; namely, watch- fulness and prayer—watchfulness, against the craft and subtlety of the devil or man; and prayer, for the Divine help to over- come. The spirit indeed is willing, but the fiesh is weak. Hore our Lord graciously finds excuses for them. It is as though he said, “I know that in heart and mind you are ready to cleave to me, even though the Jews should threaten you with death. But I know also that your flesh is weak. Pray, then, that the weakness of the flesh may not overcome the strength of the spirit.” St. Jerome says, “In whatever degree we trust to the ardour of the spirit, in the same degree ought we to fear because of the infirmity of the flesh.”
Ver. 39.—Saying the same words. The repetition of the same words shows his fixed determination to submit to the will of his heavenly Father. Although the human nature at first asserted itself in the prayer that the cup might pass from him; yet ulti- mately the human will yielded to the Divine. He desired to drink this cup of bitterness appointed for him by the‘will of God; for his supreme desire was that the will of God might be done.
Ver. 40.—And again he came, and found
them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy (karaBapuvéueros); literally, weighed down. They had not deliberately yielded them- selves to sleep; but an oppressive languor, the effect of great sorrow, had come over them, so that they could not watch as they desired to do; but by an involuntary action they ever and anon slumbered. They wist not what to answer him. They had no excuse, save that which he himself had found for them.
Ver. 41.—And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough (ar¢ye:); the hour is come. Some have thought that our Lord here uses the language of irony. But it is far more consistent with his usual con- siderate words to suppose that, sympa- thizing with the infirmity of his disciples, he simply advised them, now that his bitter agony was over, to take some rest during the brief interval that remained. Tt ¢s