And he came unto the disciples, and found them asleep, and said unto Peter,
What, could you not watch with me one hour?
All Commentaries on Matthew 26:40 Go To Matthew 26
Hilary of Poitiers
AD 368
After that, he returns to the disciples and finds them sleeping. He asks Peter why he could not watch with him one hour—Peter, indeed, was one of the three, for he had boasted in front of the others that he would not fall away. And he indicates the cause of his greater fear, saying, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” He wanted then to prevent temptation (so he included in his prayer the words “lead us not into temptation”), lest anything in us cater to the weakness of the flesh. He also makes it clear why he urged them to pray in order to avoid temptation, saying, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” These words did not apply to himself but were aimed at them. For that matter, how is it that now his spirit is willing, whereas before his soul was sad even to death? At any rate, he orders them to watch and pray lest they give in to temptation and succumb to the weakness of the body. He therefore prays that, if possible, the cup may pass from himself, for when it comes to drinking from it, all flesh is weak.
