And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very distressed.
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, &c. He took only these three to be witnesses of His sorrow and agony, lest the other Apostles should be troubled and scandalised thereby. Moreover, Christ most relied on these three as His special intimates, and also because it was but fitting that they who had seen the glory of His transfiguration should contemplate His agony, and learn that the way to glory is through agony and suffering, and that the way of Calvary and the Cross leads to the Mount and glory of Tabor.
And began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Of His own free will, and not by compulsion. He began to be so sore distressed as to be almost lifeless and beside Himself. "My soul is exceeding sorrowful," He says, "even unto death." S. Luke calls it "an agony," like those who are at the last struggle with death. Vulg. in Mark reads "fœdet," for sorrow makes a man weary of life. S. Mark adds, to be stupefied (ε̉κθαμβείσθαι), for excessive fear has this eff...
He began to grow sorrowful. The Greek signifies to be dispirited. St. Mark, to be in a consternation with fear: to wit, when all he was to undergo was represented to him, as well as the ingratitude of sinners. (Witham)
When we read that the Lord was sad, we must examine everything that was said to find out why he was sad. He previously warned that they would all fall away. Brimming with confidence, Peter responded that even though all the others might be alarmed, he would not be moved—he who the Lord predicted would deny knowing him three times. In fact, Peter and all the other disciples promised that even in the face of death they would not deny him. He then proceeded on and ordered his disciples to sit down while he prayed. Having brought with him Peter, James and John, he began to grieve. Before he brought them along with him, he did not feel sad. It was only after they had accompanied him that he grew exceedingly sad. His sadness thus arose not from himself but from those whom he had taken with him. It must be realized that the Son of man brought with him none but those whom he showed that he would come into his kingdom at that time when, in the presence of Moses and Elijah on the mountain, he wa...
His disciples were clinging to him inseparably. So he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” For it was usual with him to pray apart from them. He did this to teach us how to pray, how to use silence and solitude to pray for great matters. And taking with him the three, he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” Why does he not take all of them with him? That they might not be more sorrowful. He took only those who had been spectators of his glory. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily
