Thank God for the Tears

Mark 14:32-42

Do you think it’s true that most of us, many of us, at least some of us, get bothered when we see other people crying? I think that’s probably true for many or most of us, because when somebody’s crying, what’s usually happened? Usually, there’s been some sort of pain, there’s been some sort of disappointment, there’s been some sort of hurt that’s taken place, and I don’t think most of us don’t like to see people going through pain and hurt and struggle. Is that true? I think it might be. A funny thought in regards to it comes from an old movie. It’s the Tom Hanks movie, A League of Their Own. Some of you may remember it. I see a few heads nodding up and down. It was the story of Tom Hanks being the manager for a fledgling women’s professional baseball team. I think it was actually set in like Sheboygan, Kenosha, Racine, or something like that. Racine? Okay. I thought it was set in southeast Wisconsin here somewhere, and it was a professional women’s baseball league that lasted for a while. Well, Tom Hanks is a man. He was managing a bunch of ladies. He wasn’t used to doing this. This is the first time he’s ever done it. At one time, one of his players was crying, and Tom Hanks had no idea what to do. And so he says, “Hey, no, there’s no crying in baseball.” It’s become kind of an iconic line that has lasted and outlived the movie by far. But I also think it’s true that most of us don’t quite know what to do when we see people crying. And so we come to the Garden of Gethsemane. A whole lot has already happened before we reach Gethsemane. It’s Monday, Thursday evening. All the stuff that took place in the upper room has happened. Jesus has washed his disciples’ feet. Jesus, they have sat down to eat the Passover. During the Passover meal, Jesus announces the sad news that one of them is going to betray him. And they’re all, “Surely not I, Lord. Surely not I, Lord,” realizing that any of them were capable of doing it. There’s lots of times when the disciples are sort of dorky and don’t get it, but this is one where they all got it. Every one of them was capable. Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper. “Take and eat. This is my body. Take and drink. This is my blood of the new covenant.” Jesus announced to Peter that Peter would deny him three times. And of course, the disciples’ reaction, the event, oh, one more thing, that as they’re going out, they leave the upper room to travel to Gethsemane. And it seems as if while they’re traveling is when Jesus quotes the passage from Zechariah, “Tonight all of you will be scattered because it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” And all the disciples are strong and vociferous. “No, we won’t.” And Jesus addresses Peter directly. “Before the cock crows tonight, you’re going to deny three times that you know me.” “No way, Lord, even if everyone falls away, I never will.” And so we get to the garden. And Jesus parks eight of the disciples. Remember, Judas has left to go get the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman guards. Jesus parks eight of the disciples somewhere in the garden, takes Peter, James, and John further, and then says to them, “Watch with me while I go over here and pray.” Notice at this point, Jesus doesn’t say, “Pray for me.” Why? Maybe because the work of salvation was a one-man job, that there was only one person who could do it, and that was Jesus, and nobody else could help at all. Maybe. Put it on your bucket list. We get to heaven. We can ask. And then Jesus goes further away, and we’re told he began to be very troubled and distressed. Two different Greek words are used. They’re both really strong. You don’t need two words to say it. It’s the same thing, basically. Why two words? To help us see the immensity of this. Can you imagine? This is God. This is the Son of God. The Son of God. And how is he feeling? He is torn up. Why? Because the payment for sin was going to be so hard. And he says to the disciples, “Overwhelmed with sorrow is my soul to the point of death.” I just gave you the Greek a little bit more literally. The thought of “overwhelmed with sorrow” is the emphasis in the Greek. Watch. Will I go and pray? And his prayer. He’s struggling. He’s crying. Are you happy to see it? That Jesus is crying? Well, I guess that the first answer is, “No, I’m not happy to see it at all.” Why? Because I caused it. Jesus wouldn’t be faced down there in the Garden of Gethsemane, weighed down with sin, if I wasn’t a sinner. I’m the cause of the Son of God being faced down in Gethsemane’s garden. After the first time he prays, he comes back, and what are the disciples doing? Certainly, they’re keeping watch, right? I mean, Peter has just boasted so proudly, even if all fall away, I never will. Simon. Simon! Could you not watch with me for one hour? Just think of the implication. Simon, you boasted oh so proudly about how you were going to never, ever fall away. And now I ask you to keep watch for a short amount of time when you’re sleeping? But oh my, it sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it? How often haven’t I, too, when temptation is upon me, struggle is upon me, become tired and slept? Jesus is urging to them is watch and pray, so that you will not enter into temptation. The word temptation is the same root word for tempter. That when I yield to temptation, I’m yielding to the tempter. That when I yield to temptation, I’m giving myself over to not God, but to the devil, to the tempter. Watch and pray so you’ll not enter into temptation. Willing is the spirit. But the flesh, it’s sick. It’s weak. Oh, so true, isn’t it? And it happens a second time. And what does Jesus continue to do? Continues to pray. And you see the amazingness of his willing love for you and me. Father, anything’s possible for you. You can do anything. If it’s possible for this cup to pass from me, that I don’t have to drink it, please take it away. But not what I am willing. What you are willing. Again, that’s a little bit more emphasis from the Greek. Father, I will set aside my own desires, my own wishes, my own wants. I’m willing to face the pains. I’m willing to face the horrors. And you know what one of the biggest horrors of it was? The fact that it was going to be the father who was going to be doing the striking. I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. Who’s the I? Who’s the I who is striking the shepherd? It’s the father. The intricacies of the Trinity go way beyond our ability to even start to comprehend. But the father and the son are united more than any other unity that there is in the world. And who is going to strike the son? The father. Can we understand why my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death? Is what’s on Jesus’ lips? The immensity of this, the enormity of this, I love the way the hymn writer put it in our hymn that we just sang. The immensity of this just goes beyond our understanding. And through it all, what are the disciples doing? Sleeping and resting. An angel comes to strengthen Jesus. Can you imagine? A creature has to come to strengthen the Creator? What? In what universe does this make sense? Do you see the humble love of your God for you? That Jesus was willing to humble himself to that extent? It’s amazing, isn’t it? And finally, after the third time, Jesus comes back to the disciples. He either asks them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?” Or he says to them ironically, “You’re still sleeping and resting.” The Greek could go either way. Then he says, “Enough. Get up. Rise, let us go.” “The one who is betraying me isn’t here. The hour is at hand. When the Son of Man, behold, the Son of Man, is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” Note what Jesus doesn’t say. “Quick, get up. The betrayer is near. We’ve got to get out of here.” Notice what Jesus doesn’t say. “You jerks, I asked you to watch with me for an hour, and you couldn’t even do it.” What he does say is, “The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” The New Testament hardly ever uses that term “sinner” unless it’s referring to what we would call really bad sinners. Tax collectors and sinners, prostitutes and sinners, is the way that the New Testament or the way the Gospels often use that term. Who are the sinners that Jesus is being handed over to? It’s a combination of the church and the state. The church, which should be bringing to people healing and salvation. The state, which is supposed to be establishing and keeping justice, protecting life, and allowing good to happen to those who do good. And what’s going to happen? The church, which is supposed to be bringing salvation and healing, is going to bring cursing and condemnation. And the state, which is supposed to be bringing justice and supposed to be protecting life and supposed to be doing good for those who do good, is going to be condemning an innocent man in a terribly unjust fashion. And they’re going to do it to the best do-gooder, or should I say good-doer, that ever lived. And through it all, what does Jesus do? He keeps walking forward. He keeps walking forward. And yes, he’s going to go to Calvary’s cross. Why? To die for people like Peter, James, and John, who slept in the garden. To die for people like Judas, who betrayed him, Peter, who denied him. To die for people like you and me, who have also often played around with temptation, failed to run with it, failed to run away from it, oops. Failed to pray for strength to fight it. Yes, he even died for the people in that church and the people in that state. Because when he died, he died to pay for the sins of the world. And the depth of his sorrow starts here in Gethsemane with tears. Are we happy to see the tears? Well, like we said at one level, no, because we know we’re the cause. It’s our sins that put him on that cross. But at another level, I am oh so glad to see those tears. Because it is proof of Jesus willing, humble, gracious, forgiving love for you and for me. Oh, thank God for the tears. Amen? And Amen.