The Intention Of Jesus To Runaway
As was related earlier, Jesus was sweating blood in agony, praying God to save him, and the disciples were sleeping instead of watching, which situation caught both the master and the disciples unaware of the approach of the enemy, until they came upon them in great numbers that too armed with weapons, so that Jesus could do no more than order the disciples to run away from the place and to escape from being caught.
“RISE, LET US BE GOING: BEHOLD, HE IS AT HAND THAT DOTH BETRAY ME”. (Matt: 26:46)
But did they come there to run away? No, they came to fight the enemy to the end. If they had intended to run away, they could have escaped without getting ready to fight with weapons and even before entering the garden of Gathasamane. All that Jesus had expected, did not come to pass.
At that time the Country was under the reign of the Romans. If there had been any dispute, it could have been only religious differences between Jesus and the Jews. The Jews had no power to judge and punish him directly unless they had reasons enough to accuse Jesus of antinational or any other similar treacherous activities under taken against the Government. Therefore Jesus did not take exception to the religious opposition as was usually met with by all prophets. But when he came to know for sure, of the conspiracy plotted against him, it was likely that the thought might have crossed his mind that only a handful of scribes and Jews would come to betray and accuse him and demand his execution from the Emperor or even take the law into their own hands and kill him themselves. In that case it would be quite easy for him to defend himself and to teach a good lesson to the enemy by knocking them down to destruction, and to get rid of the opposition of the enemy for ever. But all his thoughts, expectations and plans and efforts were proved futile. At least had he been alert without being immersed and preoccupied in prayers, and if his guards employed kept careful watch, the position of Jesus could not have turned so weak, necessitating him to order his men to run away from the scene but they could have done something useful before the enemy could reach them. But, alas, everything had gone out of hand. It was just for that reason and having no other alternative for escaping death at the hands of the enemy that Jesus immediately ordered the disciples to run away.
“RISE, LET US BE GOING, BEHOLD HE IS AT HAND THAT DOTH BETRAY ME” (Matt: 26:46)
It is open for the Church to give its opinion if it can, as to what the verse “LET US BE GOING” meant. LET US BE GOING …. WHERE TO ? ?
The Church may explain unhesitatingly that the verse means “let us be going to slaughter house” …. To the slaughter house? With the butcher (enemy) left behind here? How rediculous the interpretation would be if it is meant that Jesus had ordered them to approach the enemy or to march towards them to receive and allowed themselves to be led away to the slaughter house (GOLGOTHA (or) CALVARY). They had no chance whatever to move even an inch away because the enemy were already close upon them. If that be the position what could have been the meaning of the verse “LET US BE GOING” other than a command to run away?
Please observe what the following verse says in this connection:
“RISE, LET US BE GOING: BEHOLD, HE IS AT HAND THAT DOTH BETRAY ME, AND WHILE HE YET SPEAKE, LO JUDAS, ONE OF THE TWELVE, CAME, AND WITH HIM A GREAT MULTITUDE WITH SWORDS AND STAVES, FROM THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND ELDERS OF THE PEOPLE. (Matt: 26: 46-47)
The above verse obviously speak, that though Jesus had ordered them to run away, the distance between them and the enemy was so close that even as Jesus was yet commanding them to run away (while he yet spoke means the words Jesus was speaking were hardly completed) the enemy surrounded them. Thus the enemy did not give any chance to them to escape and thus the last effort too of Jesus failed to take effect. If the enemy were in pairs or even in dozens without weapons Jesus would have had the enemy attacked and overcome, or could have run away as an alternative; but contrary to expectations the enemy were in great numbers armed with weapons. And therefore they could not chase away the wave of the enemy nor could run away having been surrounded by the enemy and helplessly situated.
