Original art by Bill Wells

36Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch^d with me.”39And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on.^eSee, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

     I have to think that the disciples felt like abject failures. Of course, we know that by morning Peter is feeling even worse. Yet, we could only know this story one way. Matthew wasn't there, so he must have gotten it from Peter, James and John. 

      These three disciples kept going. James was beheaded, Peter was crucified upside down at his own request because he didn't want to be given the same honor as Jesus, and John went on to live a long life, but he suffered a lot. They all contributed enormously to the Kingdom of God, to the church that we are blessed by today, and to the words that we read here in the Bible.

      The reason is that they were totally honest with us. They were totally honest about the reality that they struggled and suffered, and in the moment of the greatest crises that Jesus face on his life on earth, they let him down. Yet they continued to pick themselves up and go forward; and Jesus continued to bless them. 

    They are a tremendous example of how to pick yourself up and go forward despite of how you have failed Jesus. Jesus hash't failed you and wants you to keep going forward in faith and make a difference it the Kingdom of God.