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"He was heard in that he feared." - Hebrews 5:7
Did this fear arise from the infernal suggestion that he was utterly forsaken.
There may be sterner trials than this, but surely it is one of the worst to be
utterly forsaken? "See," said Satan, "thou hast a friend nowhere! Thy Father
hath shut up the bowels of his compassion against thee. Not an angel in his
courts will stretch out his hand to help thee. All heaven is alienated from
thee; thou art left alone. See the companions with whom thou hast taken sweet
counsel, what are they worth? Son of Mary, see there thy brother James, see
there thy loved disciple John, and thy bold apostle Peter, how the cowards sleep
when thou art in thy sufferings! Lo! Thou hast no friend left in heaven or
earth. All hell is against thee. I have stirred up mine infernal den. I have
sent my missives throughout all regions summoning every prince of darkness to
set upon thee this night, and we will spare no arrows, we will use all our
infernal might to overwhelm thee: and what wilt thou do, thou solitary one?" It
may be, this was the temptation; we think it was, because the appearance of an
angel unto him strengthening him removed that fear. He was heard in that he
feared; he was no more alone, but heaven was with him. It may be that this is
the reason of his coming three times to his disciples-as Hart puts it-
"Backwards and forwards thrice he ran, As if he sought some help from man."
He would see for himself whether it were really true that all men had forsaken
him; he found them all asleep; but perhaps he gained some faint comfort from the
thought that they were sleeping, not from treachery, but from sorrow, the spirit
indeed was willing, but the flesh was weak. At any rate, he was heard in that he
feared. Jesus was heard in his deepest woe; my soul, thou shalt be heard also.
See Also:
Daily Devotional: Today With Jesus
Daily Devotional: My Utmost for His Highest
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