Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: Matthew 26,36-46. Reminiscenze

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Matthew 26,36-46. Reminiscenze

Matthew 26,36-46 1722

Reminiscere 26

Euphrasia, Virgin in Egypt, ✠ 410

Ronald Feuerhahn, ✠ 2015

13. März 2022

1. ℣ Christ was wounded for our transgressions:

℟ And bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53,5).

O Merciful , Everlasting God, who did not spare Your own Son, but did deliver Him up for us all so that He might bear our sin upon the cross: Grant that our hearts may never be terrified or dismayed in this faith. Amen. (Luther 133).

2. »Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples: „Sit here, while I go over there and pray.“ And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them: „My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with Me.“ And going a little farther He fell on His face and prayed, saying: „My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.“ And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And He said to Peter: „So, could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.“ Again, for the second time, He went away and prayed: „My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.“ And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then He came to the disciples and said to them: „Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, My betrayer is at hand.“«

3. Prayer is one of the disciplines Lent focuses our attention upon. It is true that we usually pray daily, but during Lent we make a concerted effort to pray more often. These last few years of Lent have indeed given us opportunities to pray more fervently. The past 2 years our prayers focused on doctors, nurses and the sick as we endured the Covid pandemic. This year our focus in on Ukrainians, Russians and world leaders.

4. In Matthew 26, Jesus’ soul is very sorrowful, for His impending Passion is nigh. He prays that if possible, this Passion shall pass from Him. Three times He prayed this, and three times He concluded His prayer with: O Heavenly Father, Your will be done. This is the very petition Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. Luther writes of this petition the following: „The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also. God’s will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the Devil, the world and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God’s Name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will “ (Small Catechism).

5. How often in our prayers we are like the apostles in Matthew 26! Oh, we have good intentions, but fall asleep or even forget to pray. Even a simple prayer that would take 20-30 seconds of our time is not uttered because our fallen flesh is weak. We get distracted; we are tired; or we simply forget. We think there is plenty of time, and fail to realize the hour is close at hand. In Matthew 26, Jesus is just minutes away from betrayal and arrest, but His apostles are oblivious to what is about to befall Him. They had failed to lift Him up in their prayers. How many times, years later, did they chastise themselves for their failure to pray at the hour of Jesus’ greatest need?

6. In the 21. century people may have disregard for prayer, perhaps even sarcastically saying: What good is hope and prayer in this or that tragedy. Luther has a completely different opinion: „Such prayer, then, is to be our protection and defense now, is to repel and put down all that the devil, pope, bishops, tyrants and heretics can do against our gospel. Let them all rage and attempt their utmost, and deliberate and resolve how they may suppress and exterminate us, so that their will and counsel may prevail: over and against this one or two Christians with this petition alone shall be our wall against which they shall run and dash themselves to pieces. This consolation and confidence we have, that the will and purpose of the Devil and of all our enemies shall and must fail and come to naught, however proud, secure and powerful they know themselves to be. For if their will were not broken and hindered, then the kingdom of God could not abide on earth nor His Name be hallowed“ (Large Catechism III,69-70).

7. Hours before His betrayal and arrest, Jesus prayed for His apostles and disciples. He prayed that they remain firm in their faith, prayed for strength in the tribulations of the next couple of days and prayed that they remain united in their faith and love. Jesus succeeded in praying where His apostles failed. Now strengthened in body and soul, Jesus is ready to face the daunting crisis of His betrayal, arrest and condemnation. The Father and He are of the same will; the salvation of mankind will be achieved.

8. We often refer to Sunday worship as Gottesdienst (God’s Service) to us. God gives to us in the liturgy, the hymns, the Word and the Sacraments. He also gives to us in the prayers, and so our prayers are also Gottesdienst to us and to others. In Matthew 26, Jesus’ prayers were not just for Himself, but for His disciples and the entire world. He was about to save all men and women; His prayer served us. God takes the initiative, and we can only approach Him with empty hands to receive His gifts with joy.

9. Jesus told His disciples: »The Son of Man did not come to be served, but He has come to serve and give His life as a ransom for all people« (Matthew 20,28). He was tempted as we are tempted, and He overcame Satan. He suffered tribulations, and He did the will of His Heavenly Father with His suffering and death. When we struggle with temptations, Jesus supports us and carries us through. Then we falter in prayer, Jesus strengthens us. »Remember Yahweh’s tender mercies and loving-kindness: for they have been ever of old« (Psalm 25,6).

10. Grant peace, we pray, in mercy, Lord;

Peace in our time, O send us!

For there is none on earth but You;

None other to defend us.

You only, Lord, can fight for us. Amen. (Grant Peace, We Pray, in Mercy, Lord lsb 777,1 Latin, c. 6. century; adapt. Martin Luther).

This is most certainly true.

12. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.

13. Let us pray. O Almighty Father, Eternal God, for us You sent Your Son and let Him suffer the pain of the cross, so that He might drive away from us all the terror of the evil foe. Move us to joyfully give thanks for His suffering through which we have received forgiveness of sins and redemption from eternal death. Amen. (Die pommersche Kirchen-Ordnung und Agenda 288.2; Stratman 35).

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Matthew 26,36-46. Reminiscenze

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