And he came unto the disciples, and found them asleep, and said unto Peter,
What, could you not watch with me one hour?
Read Chapter 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 whe...
The fact that, after returning and finding them asleep, he first reproves them, secondly is silent and thirdly orders them to rest, can be explained in this way: First, after the resurrection, he scolded them for scattering and for being apprehensive and restless; second, once the Holy Spirit had been sent, he came and found them sleeping, since their eyes were too heavy for them to discern the freedom of the gospel—having been held back by the love of the law for some time, their faith was still sleeping; and third, with the return of his radiance, he restored them to restfulness and peace of mind.
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” It is impossible for the human soul to avoid temptation. Hence we say in the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation,” which we are unable to withstand. We do not refuse to face temptation entirely but pray for the strength to bear up under it. Therefore he does not say, “Watch and pray that you may not be tempted” but “that you may not enter into temptation,” that is, that temptation may not overwhelm you and hold you in its grip. For example, a martyr who has shed blood by professing faith in the Lord was certainly tempted but was not ensnared in the net of temptation. One who denies the faith, however, has fallen into the snares of temptation. “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” This is aimed at those rash people who think that whatever they believe, they can obtain. Therefore, as much as we trust in the ardor of our spirit, so too should we fear the weakness of the flesh. And yet, according to the apost...
After that He comes and says to Peter, as it is said, What, couldest thou not watch one hour with me? Mark 14:37 All were sleeping, and He re bukes Peter, hinting at him, in what He spoke. And the words, with me, are not employed without reason; it is as though He had said, You could not watch with me one hour, and will you lay down your life for me? And what follows also, intimates this self-same thing.
