While commemorating the stations of the cross today, it struck me that Jesus for once failed as a teacher. As an educator, I consider Jesus to be one of the best teachers in the world - for various reasons. However, at the garden of Gethsemane, he fails in one particular aspect. On Jesus' defence I could say that in the face of death, this is a very slight oversight.
On reaching the garden Jesus tells his apostles to stay there while he goes a little further to pray. Now this is night time and am sure after all the arrangements they made for the passover meal, and the meal itself, they are tired. Naturally Jesus finds them asleep, all three times he comes to them. But each time he wakes them up, he tells them to stay awake... but do what? Now, any sensible and practical teacher should know this best. Merely telling the children in class to keep quiet, will not result in the children being silent for long. Instead give them something to do, and one need not yell or tell them to be silent! Jesus telling his apostles 'to be there' without actually telling them what to do, is like telling children in class, to keep quiet - which they immediately will, but soon out of boredom, invent their own ways of keeping busy!
In defence of the apostles, one might say that they really did not know what is happening. As Jews they knew the passover feast. But all this talk of Jesus during the meal, was way above their head! Then this visit to the garden of Gethsemane, was an odd outing - in the night! Jesus had an inkling of his death, hence sleep eluded him. The others actually had no clue of what was coming. The only one among the apostles who was actively up to something, was wide awake and busy - Judas.
On reaching the garden Jesus tells his apostles to stay there while he goes a little further to pray. Now this is night time and am sure after all the arrangements they made for the passover meal, and the meal itself, they are tired. Naturally Jesus finds them asleep, all three times he comes to them. But each time he wakes them up, he tells them to stay awake... but do what? Now, any sensible and practical teacher should know this best. Merely telling the children in class to keep quiet, will not result in the children being silent for long. Instead give them something to do, and one need not yell or tell them to be silent! Jesus telling his apostles 'to be there' without actually telling them what to do, is like telling children in class, to keep quiet - which they immediately will, but soon out of boredom, invent their own ways of keeping busy!
In defence of the apostles, one might say that they really did not know what is happening. As Jews they knew the passover feast. But all this talk of Jesus during the meal, was way above their head! Then this visit to the garden of Gethsemane, was an odd outing - in the night! Jesus had an inkling of his death, hence sleep eluded him. The others actually had no clue of what was coming. The only one among the apostles who was actively up to something, was wide awake and busy - Judas.
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