By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”_ – NIV
Jesus had warned the disciples about His arrest, their scattering and possibility to fall into temptation in the imminent challenge. They would escape this by watching and praying. Jesus invited them to watch along with Him for an hour. But they were overtaken by sleep.
Three times Jesus came to check on them, to be sure they were watching and praying along and preparing themselves, but they were sleeping. When the hour of temptation came, they were not yet equipped and prepared enough to withstand. That’s partly why they couldn’t stand and they fled. Peter resorted to mechanical way of responding to temptation. He cut off the ear of one of the arresters, but Jesus rebuked him for that.
Many of us respond inappropriately to temptation, fighting back physically because we didn’t handle it prayerfully. Compare that with the calmness of Jesus as He went through the tough trial.
Temptations will come to us all in various ways. Jesus’ warning to watch and pray so that we don’t fall into temptation is true to date. When we do not watch and pray prior to the temptation, we are likely to react in a way that isn’t godly, and fall into the trap of the temptation. It will take us off guard and the enemy will outwit us in the process.
And this came because of yielding to the weakness of the body in a critical time to prepare for a challenge. What Jesus said to them, He says to us all: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
Shalom children of God.