Holy Apostle Onesimus
1 John 3:10-20; Mark 14:10-42
Read Mark 14:10-42
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
“I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.”
This is Meatfare Week, the week in which traditionally all meat products are consumed or preserved in preparation for the Great Fast. Meat would not be eaten from next Monday (the day after Meatfare Sunday) until Pascha. On this Tuesday of Meatfare Week, we reflect on various events during Holy Week leading up to Christ’s arrest. Today’s gospel reading begins and ends mentioning the betrayal of Jesus.
After supper when Jesus and His disciples went up to the Mount of Olives, we get an insight on Jesus’ emotional state. He was “distressed and agitated” (Mk. 14:33) and “deeply grieved, even to death” (Mk. 14:34). It is quite profound that the evangelist reveals Jesus’ emotions to us. We read stories of Christian martyrs and even pagan philosophers like Socrates approaching their impending death with such poise and calm. Jesus, on the other hand, seems very distraught. Why is this the case?
Christ, being God, willingly enters the fullness of human suffering. He does not approach His upcoming gruesome torture and death with emotionless detachment. Rather, He willingly accepts death with all its ugliness. He understands that everything that will happen to Him is mysteriously willed by His Father. The Father takes “no pleasure in the death of anyone” (Ez. 18:32), most especially the death of His only-begotten Son. However, by His death, Jesus demonstrates for us the most perfect act of love and self-sacrifice possible. He opens for us the path to share in His Resurrection and rebirth as a new creation.
Jesus asks Peter, James, and John to remain with Him and stay awake in the garden. We might hear for ourselves a similar calling from Jesus. He wants us to be close to Him and to always be watchful, sober, and awake. As we begin to prepare ourselves for Lent, let us hear this invitation to come ever closer to Jesus and keep watch with Him.