Luke 22:41

“And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed” Luke 22:41

Jesus had just finished commanding His disciples to pray that they may not enter into temptation, and now here we see that Jesus Himself prayed. This took place on the Mount of Olives, not long before Jesus would be arrested and crucified. It’s not even possible to imagine the agony and the pain that His heart must have been feeling at this point in time. He knew full well what awaited Him, and He knew that this is what He had to do in order to save the ones He so dearly loved. I think it is important to stop here and realize how easily Jesus could have changed His mind about dying on the cross. He could have decided that it was too hard, that He wasn’t willing to go through with it, and that we weren’t worth it. But, that isn’t what happened. Praise the Lord, that isn’t what happened. Jesus, as full of pain and sorrow as He was, decided that we were still worth it, that He still loved us too much to let us go. What an amazing truth.

On the Mount of Olives we see Jesus withdrawing from His disciples, about a stone’s throw away, and kneeling down to pray. This scene, as painful as it may be, is a beautiful example to what Jesus had just called us to do. Jesus had just commanded His followers to pray, and now, as He always does, Jesus set a perfect example for them. Jesus, in the midst of His turmoil and sadness, excused Himself from the disciples, and cried out to the Father.

How often do I, when I find myself weighed down with life’s burdens and sorrows, bend my knee and cry out to my Heavenly Father? Fellowship with others is critical to be sure, but sometimes I need to simply “go a stone’s throw away” and find that place where it’s just my Father and I, where I can cry out to Him and find the comfort that only He can give.

Reading Luke 40:39-46 humbles me because I see the pain that my Savior endured for me. I am amazed at how much He gave to love me, a wretched sinner. Reading this passage also reminds me of the sweetness of prayer, and how I am so thankful that I can have fellowship with my Heavenly Father.

Application: Today I will spend time just talking to Jesus and pouring my heart out to Him.