Your will be done: Mat 26:36-46

On the night Jesus was to be betrayed, he and his disciples withdrew to a garden called Gethsemane. Taking Peter, James, and John, Jesus told them to wait and pray, while he went a bit further and prayed thus, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Mat 26:39) Returning, Jesus found then asleep. Waking them, he commanded them to “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation.” (Mat 26:41) Having said this, he went back and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (Mat 26:42) Coming back a second time, Jesus found his disciples again asleep. Leaving them to sleep, he returned and prayed the same thing.

What is interesting in this passage is that, in the Greek, the phrase, “Your will be done,” is an imperative (a command). Jesus was not just praying, “What every you want father…” or “If it be your will…” or “You're in charge…” Jesus was actually engaging the will of God and commanding it over his life. Even knowing full well what awaited him, he was so fully committed to God’s will that he was not content to passively wait for it. Instead, he commanded its coming into his life.

This same commanding of the will of God is also found in the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mat 6:10) Often, when I pray this prayer, I think of all the positive things that accompany his will and kingdom, such as, salvation, healing, provision, mercy, grace, love, etc. However, I rarely think about what the establishment of his will and kingdom in my life might cost me. Often, the path to God’s will and plan for our lives pass through times of suffering, trial, and pain. Understanding the cost of having God’s will and kingdom in this light causes me to ask myself, “Am I just as committed at commanding the will of God over my life even if it might mean seasons of trial and suffering?” My hope is that, like Jesus, I would. No matter the cost, there is nothing that would be more beneficial nor a greater blessing to my life than having the kingdom and will of God come fully into my life.