APRIL 2017
disciples were aroused by the rough and
malicious treatment given to their Master.
They were prepared to protect Him till the end.
Peter drew his sword and struck the High
Priest's servant vehemently and cut off his right
ear.
The compassionate Saviour immediately
proceeded to perform His gracious act of mercy
by healing the wound of a cruel enemy. He then
gave this final command to one of His
responsible leaders.
St. Matthew adds a
reason for this strict instruction “for all who
take the sword shall perish by the sword.” The
Lord clearly and emphatically told His
associates not to use any weapon of defence.
The Messiah need not be defended by material
weapons. This command brings out that, it is
not right to draw the sword either for Christ or
for the Truth. Jesus taught that the will of God
is not to be fulfilled by physical force.
Jesus was neither agitated by the sudden
turn of events nor did He angrily react to His
enemies. Carnal methods will not be needed
when the Lord is on our side. Both our actions
and reactions should be guided by spiritual
values. Thus, the final command is a
revolutionary one that refined the life and
ministry of His faithful disciples.
Gethsemane was not only a place of
suffering but of strength as well. Jesus
experienced great distress, endured intense
sorrow, encountered solemn loneliness,
expressed agonized prayer, enjoyed special
comfort, evinced renewed strength. There will
be times when we must enter our
own
'Gethsemane' - times of rejection, sorrow and
isolation. But such times can also be times of
comfort and strength, when we turn to God in
prayer and accept the will of the Father in our
lives.
Obeying His commands, submitting to
His perfect will and following His footsteps are
deliberate choices, that need a sincere effort.
Though it is difficult but not impossible.
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Jesus told his disciples that he could be
rescued and defended by more than twelve
legions of angels (i.e. seventy two thousand) if
only He had desired it. But He wanted to
honour His Father's will so that the Scripture
may be fulfilled. He wanted His disciples to
understand that He who commands them will
take care of them. He wanted to convey a
message to His disciples that they must entirely
submit to the will of the Father no matter what
the situation demands.
GETHSEMANE COMMANDS
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