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So far we have examined the nature of his prayers. Now let us see what had happened to him when he returned from his prayers.
After thus praying God, to save him from the accused death, Jesus returned to his disciples, as he had done twice earlier to see whether they were watching carefully. But when he found them sleeping (Because their eyes were heavy) he lost all his hopes in them. And yet he once again tried to induce them by saying the following words in great despair and disgust.
“SLEEP ON NOW, AND TAKE YOUR REST: BEHOLD, THE HOUR IS AT HAND, AND THE SON OF MAN IS BETRAYED INTO THE HANDS OF SINNERS". (Matt: 26:45)
This is to mean as saying, “Inspite of my continual warnings to be alert and prepared and ready to defend, and cautions against entering into temptation in case you (disciples) happen to be betrayed along with me, and my requests to watch (GUARD) carefully with me praying God in this critical hour, you did not pay heed to me. Whatever I expected of you turned out only to be a dream. You are willing to have me betrayed but not willing to heed me. Therefore SLEEP ON NOW AND TAKE YOUR REST. The enemy would certainly betray me because you have proved yourselves of no use to me whatever”.
The readers are requested not to be under the false impression that when Jesus had ordered them to “SLEEP ON AND TAKE REST”, he had really relaxed the restrictions placed on the disciples, that exemption from watching had really been granted and that the command to watch had really been withdrawn. But as a matter of fact, it was a final and confidential appeal requesting the disciples to comply with the instructions given, by pretending as if he did not want their co-operation any more, just in order to make them respond to the command in shame for having neglected to do so at the time.
PLEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE:
A wife requested her husband to buy a beautiful and costly saree for her. But the husband failed to comply with her request. She reminded and requested him about it repeatedly. Yet the poor husband could not or did not fulfil the wish of his wife. Then at last the wife expressed her displeasure and disappointment telling him “Alright, you need not buy the saree for me; I shall go about completely nude”. Then does she actually mean that her husband need not buy a saree for her? And does it actually mean that she has withdrawn her request? Can any sensible husband consider that kind of words spoken by his wife in context with such a situation as this as to mean he had been really exempted from complying with the request? No; certainly not. It is not actually the withdrawal of the desire expressed but a kind of usage which is generally spoken to emphasize the necessity in pretence of refusal rather than a real refusal in exasperation.
This is the same kind of usage Jesus applied on his disciples, emphasizing the necessity of their careful watch. Thus he was yet trying to make them alert and cautious, Lo, unexpectedly and all of a sudden, he found the enemy already closed in on them.
