A Word from Bob: You’re reading Part 2 of a 3-part blog mini-series on Grief and Jesus. You can read Part 1 here: “Man of Sorrows.” These posts come from my 31-day devotional from P&R Publishing: Grief: Walking with Jesus. 

“And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’  And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour?’” (Matthew 26:37-38, 40).

Holy Need for Others 

Yesterday, during day one of our three-day journey with Jesus in Gethsemane, we witnessed Jesus modeling holy grief. Today, we’ll witness Jesus modeling holy need for others.

At times, the Christian world has communicated that emotions and grief are bad or weak. Jesus dispels us of that false notion. At other times, the Christian world has communicated that needing others is bad, weak, and even sinful. Again, Jesus dispels us of that false notion.

In the beginning, God created us with a holy need for others.

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’” (Genesis 2:18).

Unfallen Adam was in a perfect paradise in a perfect relationship with the perfect God of the universe. Yet, God still said that Adam had a deep need for human companionship.

It Is Not Good That We Should Grieve Alone 

So, it should not seem odd that Jesus took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him into the Garden of Gethsemane. Being human, Jesus stood in need not only of food, drink, clothing, shelter, and sleep, but also of human fellowship. Jesus needed these three men. Let that sink in. Jesus needed these three men…

“And, taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful.”

Those three words—taking with him—could be a motto for all grievers.

Granted, there are times we grieve by ourselves, away from others, in our hearts, just us and God. Yet, those times should and even must be surrounded by grieving with others and taking others with us.

God did not design us to grieve alone. God designed the Body of Christ to grieve together. God calls his people to:

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

“God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Corinthians 12:24-26). 

Holy Disappointment 

“Holy disappointment”: that’s likely not a pairing of words were used to seeing. But Jesus models it. He asks Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to watch with him. He wanted and needed them to be on emotional sentry duty with him. But they went emotionally AWOL. And it disappointed Jesus.

“And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour?’” (Matthew 26:40).

Can you hear the emotional disappointment? Can you feel the emotional fatigue? Jesus does not lash out, but neither does he minimize or deny the reality that they have let him down.

Shared sorrow is endurable sorrow. We climb in the grief casket with each other. Jesus longed for his disciples to climb in his casket of sorrow, but they fell asleep on their watch. And it hurt Jesus.

Applying Gospel Truth to Your Grief Journey 

Holy Need for Others: Who do you need to invite into your casket, to invite on your grief journey?

Holy Disappointment: Who has let you down by going off grief sentry duty with you? How could you lovingly express your need for them to keep watch with you?