"Then Jesus said to them," All of you are shocked, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, but after my resurrection I will go before you into Galilee.' Peter said to him: Even if everyone is shocked, I will never Jesus replied, "Truly, I tell you that today, tonight, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." But he insisted with more vehemence: Even if it is necessary for me to die with you, I will not deny you. I said everything. " (Mark 14.27-31)
The disciples had just had dinner with Jesus. They were celebrating, it was Easter! Even having heard about his death, and knowing that one of them was to betray him; at this moment they were all under the effect of the delights of the dinner. They were in party! They were happy with the celebrations that remembered the liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. In addition, they had all witnessed the triumphal entry into Jerusalem: the mantles, the branches and the palms along the way ... The screams of Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom ... It's good that he was riding on a donkey, a donkey, but this did not diminish the importance, the meaning, and the impact of that moment!
There were also the signs, the wonders, the miracles performed over the last three years ... And everyone had seen with their own eyes! They had also felt in their skin the touch, the afago, the virtues that flowed from the Son of Man so naturally. Moments before, during the dinner, they had their feet washed by His Lord; they heard him speak about the Comforter, about the vine and the branches, about the many dwellings of the Father's house, and, finally, they heard him in a very special prayer, a prophetic prayer, and also with him, they sang ... at least one hymn!
For all this, and perhaps more, when the Master warned them that soon all the abandonment, the unanimous answer was: "Even though it is the dying with you in everything that I will deny you!".
The same happens with us! In times of celebration and joy; in moments of intimacy and communion with the Lord; when we see, we feel and are drenched with the anointing oil; when the water is transformed into wine; when signs and wonders accompany us, when the "supernatural" normality of church life runs loose; then we affirm how those disciples, and like them, we have no doubt that we will never deny our beloved Jesus, even if it implies in our death!
But there, we are taken by the Lord Himself to Gethsemane: the place of anguish, the place of doubt, the place of the bitter chalice, the place of trial, the place of temptation, the place of sleep ... Yes , unnoticed of what happens in the celestial regions, ignoring the critical moment for which we are passing, oblivious to the spiritual battle in which we are inserted, we simply sleep. Our eyes are weighed and we can not watch together with Jesus ... We sleep with sadness!
The second step, after the spiritual dream, is the negation: "I am not his disciple!" The worst thing is that we deny it not only with words, as Peter did; we reject it with our actions, our omissions, our intentions and our motivations ... And if we do not awaken from the dream, if we do not fall into ourselves, if we do not remember the Master's words and do not repent, as Peter did, then it will be our end .
But why are we taking us to Gethsemane, that place of trials, when everything is going so well, when we are so close to victory?
The answer is in the words of Jesus to Peter: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked you to sift like wheat" (Lk 22.31). On another occasion Jesus said that the wheat and the tares are always together, and that it is difficult to know what is one and what is the other. There the need for the sieve!
Our enemy and accuser, very interested in separating the wheat from the tares, very concerned in 'cleaning' the granary of God, asks the Lord to try and try us, just as he did Job. And our beloved God, eager for us to approve, to make us white as snow, to purify us like refined gold, allows his enemy to peneir, even at the risk of disappointing us. But He is love, and love can bear it!
In nothing different from the Father, the Son, our advocate and intercessor; that for love took our place, suffered our pains, died our death, consoles us with words, said to Peter: "But I have prayed for you, that your faith is not lacking: [...]" (Lc 22.32). Hallelujah! He has already provided the escape, he has already given us liberation! Then Jesus prophesied to Peter: "[...] you, because when you have converted again, confirm your brothers" (Luke 22:32). Yes, it is a prophetic word, it is a word of blessing. He does not doubt does not say "If he has activated!" He says, "If you turn!". This is our God, the one who expects everything and believes everything.
But our treatment does not just treat our cleanliness, our change, our approval. Do not! Our beloved Father always wants more and wants to move us forward. He wants us to be partakers of his glory, he wants us to be his co - workers: "[...] you, because when he has activated again, confirm your brothers" (Luke 22:32). The Lord wants to enable us, through trials, so that, transformed, we can help others who come to go through the same tests and situations that we do.
How can we win in Gethsemane?
Hearing the Word of warning from the Lord; Keeping watch in prayer, so as not to fall into temptation; Awakening from the spiritual dream, being dressed for war; Staying with Him and in Him. The Gethsemane is going to pass, the Calvary will pass, the grave will pass ... He has already been resurrected! Hallelujah!
If we have denied it, He tells us, "Do you love more than these others? Feed my lambs!" He insists, "Do you love me? Shepherds my sheep!" And once again she asks us: Do you love me? Feed my sheep! "Notice that for every refusal there is an opportunity for an affirmative.This is forgiveness, this is love!" At first Peter did not understand the reason for the repetition, but as he had denied three times, he needed three opportunities to affirm his love and commitment to Jesus.
