"Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26: 40-41
The only light is the light of the moon. For some reason, the moon is very bright this night. There are a couple of torches burning in the garden, but their light is dim.
Next to one torch, I see three men sleeping very soundly. Their snoring is loud. I hear an owl screech eerily in the distance.
Then, I hear the moaning.
A sliver of moon light illuminates the Master. He is covered with sweat and blood. He wipes His face with His cloak and leaves the spot where He prayed. He walks to the men who are closest to Him. I hear Him say that the time has come. The stunned men get up and call the others as Jesus walks ahead of them. Coming from the other direction are the soldiers. They bring with them one of His Apostles, a close friend, Judas. I see the hurt on His face as Judas kisses Him on the cheek. His eyes fill with tears as He looks at Judas. Judas recoils and runs away. Jesus is struck on the face by a Roman soldier. Peter grabs his saber and slices off the soldier's ear. The smell of fresh blood is becoming familiar in this violent episode. In the chaos, the Apostles run like frightened children.
With blood flowing out of His mouth, Jesus tells Peter to lay down his sword. Jesus reaches down to the soldier. His ear is healed. Peter has joined the other Apostles in flight.
Jesus is beaten and kicked as He is tied up and lead away. His Precious Blood is leaving a trail of salvation in the ground. The Garden is once again quiet. His time has come.
Jesus, My Lord and My God.
Forgive me!
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