Ready, Willing, and Able

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

READY, WILLING, AND ABLE

Matt 26:42-46

42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."  43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" 

NIV

It is interesting that Jesus is not praying that the cup is taken from him, as he did before. Now he is praying that as long as he must drink, may he do it as in accordance with the will of his Father. Jesus has resigned himself to drink from this cup, to go to the cross through all the pain and suffering, as well as the humiliation, he must face before and on the cross. Although we could make a case that Jesus prayed three times and that we could make some formula from that, believing we need to pray three times before hearing an answer from God, prayer is not always about asking, as we can see in this second and most likely the third prayer of Jesus. Yes, he was asking that the will of His Father would be done, but we know that it is already the case and God is always about having his will done. Although he does give us the choice to either submit to his will or refuse it and suffer the consequences. Jesus demonstrated the desire to do the will of His Father, and that was his prayer. After the first time of asking if it were possible, not he asked because it is not possible, he will drink it because that is the will of the Father. This was a prayer of affirmation, of agreement with the Father. Lord, we agree with your will, and we will do that which you have willed for us within this life which you have given to us and have the right to ask anything of us, up to and including laying our life down for another. Perhaps this is not laying down our lives as Jesus did for us, in the physical sense, but we can do that in a spiritual sense, that is putting the needs of others before our needs. This can more clearly be seen in the realm of time, giving of our time for the benefit of others. In addition, we can also see how Peter, James, and John, failed to put the needs of Jesus before their need for sleep. It is amazing that just after the experience of the Passover meal and all that Jesus said, and all the excitement as well as some stress regarding one of them being a betrayer, they fell asleep over and over again. We would have thought they would have been too excited to sleep, one with being singled out from the rest to go further and pray with Jesus, and two, to be there watching Jesus spend time with the Father in prayer. Sometimes our words can be difficult when we pray, but we have to believe Jesus prayed with just the right words, at the right time, in the right way, with the right attitude. And now comes the time for the betrayer and Jesus is well aware it is time. He knows what is ahead and is ready, willing, and able because he had been with the Father in prayer. This should give us good reason to be in prayer with our Father in Heaven, so we too will be ready, willing, and able to accomplish his will.