“And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand’” (Matthew 26:40-46, English Standard Version).

The disciples had failed before. Mostly, they failed to understand Jesus’ purpose and mission, no matter how often He explained it. Sometimes, they failed to follow His teachings, like when they argued over who should be Jesus’ second-in-command.

In Gethsemane, though, Jesus felt it. This time, His response was not, “Now that you said that, let Me tell you a parable so that you understand what you should have said, thought, or done.” You can almost hear the cry of rejection as Jesus said, “Could you not watch with me one hour?”

The disciples slept while Jesus bargained with the Father, hoping He could find a loophole in the plan of salvation [“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39)]. Never before had He questioned or challenged the Father’s will or tried to change His mind, but now He did—while the disciples slept.

He could deal with the fact that they did not yet understand the call to servitude. When they arrived for the Passover meal arguing about who was the greatest disciple, Jesus acted like the lowest slave and washed their feet (John 13:1-11). He did not reprimand them; instead, He showed them how to serve. This time, though, He felt the pain.

At that moment, He needed friends to pray with Him and for Him, even if they still did not understand what He was going through. He told them they would need to pray for strength to endure trial and resist temptation. Perhaps for the first time in His time with them, Jesus needed the disciples, but instead, they abandoned Him to pursue immediate comfort.

We need to be with Him. Sometimes, we just need to spend time with Him, even if we do not know what He is doing, what we need, or how to pray.

Sometimes, others will need us to be with them. At that moment, Jesus knew His disciples would not have the answers. “Could you not watch with me one hour? Can you take some time just to be with me?” Jesus said it to His disciples. Perhaps each of us has wanted to say it to someone else during our darkest times; we did not need someone with all the answers—we just wanted someone to show us that God loves us, is still with us, and has chosen to show His compassionate concern to us through another person.

Can you watch with Jesus for one hour? Can you seek the strength and wisdom to do His will? Can you show your love and compassion in Jesus’ name to someone who needs it?

Please share your thoughts in the comments area below.

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