Welcome to Day 34 of our 40 Day challenge! Mark 14:27-42

(Catch up with us, with our reading list March, reading list for April,  and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15, Day 16, Day 17, Day 18, Day 19, Day 20, Day 21, Day 22, Day 23, Day 24,
Day 25, Day 26, Day 27, Day 28, Day 29, Day 30, Day 31, Day 32, Day 33)

Today we are reading Mark 14:27-42

Mark 14:27-42

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

²⁷ “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered.’

²⁸ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

²⁹ Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

³⁰ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice^[e] you yourself will disown me three times.”

³¹ But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

Gethsemane

³² They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”³³ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴ “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

³⁵ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶ “Abba,^[f] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

³⁹ Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

⁴¹ Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hourhas come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

This passage is always tough to read. Could they not stay awake for even one hour? Jesus told them how important it was to Him and asked for one hour. And then He tells them it wasn’t for Him, but for themselves. ♥

Watch and pray so that you won’t fall into temptation.

This was one of the most critical moments in history, but the disciples slept through it. Peter had just been so confident that he would die for Jesus, but he couldn’t stay awake for even one hour. How does he expect to be faithful in the biggest thing when he can’t stay faithful for one hour?

I know so much more is going on here than just staying awake. The warfare that night would have been far beyond their ability to endure. But Jesus asked them over and over, and the principle applies.

How often do we focus so hard on what we think the big things are that we miss being faithful in what we think are little things? In God’s Kingdom, it’s the other way around.

Our character is revealed in how we handle the smallest of things (Luke 16:10). If we are unfaithful in small things, we won’t be faithful in big things.

It’s always the little things where we first build competence and confidence to handle the big things. We show our faithfulness in the small things, and then God can entrust us with increasingly bigger things.

If we are praying for big things, it’s helpful to look first for any of the little things God is waiting for us to be faithful in first. We must be faithful in small things before we can be entrusted with the big things.

Lord, reveal to us the small things we’re lacking faithfulness in, to prepare us for the bigger things you have planned for us.

Options for further  journaling or discussion throughout the challenge:

• Choose a part of the passage to write out by hand. Writing by hand helps us slow down and focus on what the Lord might highlight for us in the passage. Our brains can focus and remember better by writing than just reading alone.
• Journal about what the passage brings to mind. Does the passage tell us anything about God? Does it tell us anything about our response to Him?
• Does your heart respond in gratitude to any part of the passage? Write or pray your gratitude to the Lord.

We’ll see you next time, for Day 35 and Luke 22:47-53

♥ Samantha