Where Are You During Their Night?

What do you do when people need you the most?

Matthew 26:36–41 (NLT) Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

In the passage above, Jesus is at what may be his darkest hour. He’s spent 33 years on the earth and about 3 with his disciples.

Jesus has just eaten the passover meal with his boys and Judas has betrayed him and sold him out for a few dollars. Peter and Jesus have had the whole, “You’ll deny me,” conversation in which Peter passionately disagrees with Jesus. Jesus knows, however, that Peter will deny ever knowing Jesus just hours later.

So Jesus has gone to the garden to pray. He’s gone to the garden to do what we should do in every tough season and spot in life. He brings along a few of his disciples and asks them to pray for him as he gets alone with his Father.

Jesus goes further into the garden to pray a few minutes and when he returns, what does he find?

The disciples have fallen asleep!

In Jesus’ darkest hour, the people he had entrusted with his message and the people he had asked to be there for him are snoozing like nothing is going on.

It tells others a lot about who we are by how we treat them at their darkest hours…

When they’ve failed.
When they’ve been betrayed.
When they know the truth and the truth hurts.
When they’ve let us down.
When they can’t do what they promised they’d do.
When they’re overwhelmed by life.
When death is knocking at their door.

Where are you during their night? Where are you when the people around you or the people you meet are at their darkest times in life?

That is when true friendship is displayed… when it’s easier not to remain friends…. when you’re tired.
That’s when true character is revealed… when those people are hurting and they’re asking you to pray.

Don’t get caught napping on your relationships. Don’t abandon people when they’re at their lowest and darkest.

Where are you during the night?