In reflecting on Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, we see the profound depth of His humanity and the intensity of His spiritual struggle. We recognize that Jesus’ plea to “remove this cup” validates our own moments of weakness and fear, showing us that true faith involves being honest with God about our burdens. We understand that while the disciples struggled to stay awake due to the sheer exhaustion of grief, Jesus remained alert, choosing to align His will with the Father’s even as His body bore the physical toll of His anguish. By following the example of the one who submitted to God’s plan despite the cost, we find the courage to bring our own “heavy cups” to the Lord, trusting in His presence as we walk toward the challenges ahead.

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Good morning! It is good to be back with you on this Tuesday, January 27th. As the ice begins to thaw across Mississippi, I hope you’re able to stay warm and that your “snow snacks” held out.

Today, we are moving back to the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:39–46. This scene actually takes place before the “lopping of ears” and Peter’s denial that we’ve already discussed, but looking at it now allows us to see the internal struggle that fueled Jesus’ resolve.

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The Most Human Prayer (Luke 22:39–42)

Jesus retreats to the Mount of Olives, a place of familiar comfort, to face His most agonizing moment. He tells the disciples to pray that they don’t enter into the “time of trial”—a warning He repeats twice. Then, He offers a prayer that captures the peak of His humanity:

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”

There is something incredibly freeing about knowing that Jesus—the Son of God—had a moment where He essentially said, “I don’t want to do this.” He wasn’t a stoic robot or a martyr seeking a thrill. He felt the weight, the fear, and the sheer impossibility of the task ahead. If you’ve ever felt like a burden was too heavy to carry or a situation was too much to bear, you are in good company. Jesus has been there.

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Sovereignty, Agency, and the Anguish (Luke 22:43–44)

The tension between God’s plan and our free will is one of the great mysteries of the faith. We see Jesus operating with full agency—He chooses to submit—while also acknowledging that there is a “cup” prepared by the Father.

Luke, who was a physician, includes a unique medical detail:

“In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.”

This is a rare but real physiological condition known as hematidrosis, where extreme stress causes capillary blood vessels to burst and mix with sweat. It shows us that Jesus wasn’t just “sad”; His very body was reacting to the spiritual and emotional weight of the world’s sin.

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Sleeping Because of Grief (Luke 22:45–46)

When Jesus returns to the disciples, He finds them sleeping. While it’s easy to judge them for “failing” Him, Luke adds a tender detail: they were “sleeping because of grief.” Sometimes, when the world feels too heavy, our bodies just shut down. Grief is exhausting. The disciples weren’t necessarily lazy; they were overwhelmed. Jesus doesn’t scold them with malice; He wakes them with an urgent call to prayer. He knows the trial has already begun.

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Staying Honest with God

The takeaway for us today is that God can handle our honesty. You don’t have to “clean up” your prayers before you talk to Him. If the cup is heavy, tell Him. If you’re scared, tell Him. Submission isn’t about pretending you aren’t hurting; it’s about being honest about the pain while still trusting the Hand that holds the cup.