Church Fathers Commentary Luke 22:39-42

"And he came out, and went, as his custom was, unto the mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was parted from them about a stone`s cast; and he kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." — Luke 22:39-42 (ASV)

The Venerable Bede: As He was about to be betrayed by His disciple, our Lord went to His usual place of retirement, where He could be found most easily. As it is written: And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: By day He was in Jerusalem, but when the darkness of night came, He conversed with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. As it is added, And his disciples followed.

The Venerable Bede: He rightly leads the disciples, who were about to be instructed in the mysteries of His Body, to the Mount of Olives. He did this to signify that all who are baptized into His death should be comforted with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Now after supper, our Lord turns not to idleness or sleep, but to prayer and teaching. Hence it follows: And when he was at the place, he said to them, Pray...

The Venerable Bede: It is indeed impossible for the human soul not to be tempted. Therefore, He does not say to pray that you are not tempted, but to Pray that you enter not into temptation—that is, that the temptation does not ultimately overcome you.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But not only to do good with words, He went forward a little and prayed, as it is written: And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast. You will find Him everywhere praying apart, teaching you that we should speak with the most high God with a devout mind and a quiet heart.

He did not turn to prayer as if He needed another’s help, since He is the almighty power of the Father. Rather, He prayed so that we might learn not to be idle in temptation, but instead to be persistent in prayer.

The Venerable Bede: He who was to suffer alone for all also prays alone for all, signifying that His prayer is as far removed from ours as His Passion is.

St. Augustine of Hippo: He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, as if to symbolically remind them that they should direct the stone to Him—that is, to bring the purpose of the law, which was written on stone, up to Him.

Gregory of Nyssa: But what is the meaning of His bending His knees, about which it is said, And he kneeled down, and prayed? It is the custom of men to pray to their superiors with their faces on the ground, testifying by the action that the greater of the two are those being asked.

Now, it is plain that human nature contains nothing worthy of God’s imitation. Accordingly, the signs of respect that we show to one another, confessing ourselves to be inferior, we have applied to the worship of the Incomparable Nature. And so He who bore our sicknesses and interceded for us bent His knee in prayer because of the humanity He assumed.

He did this to give us an example that we ought not to exalt ourselves during prayer, but in all things be conformed to humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

St. John Chrysostom: Every skill is demonstrated by the words and works of the one who teaches it. Because our Lord had come to teach no ordinary virtue, He therefore both speaks and does the same things. And so, having commanded in words that they should pray not to enter into temptation, He does the same in His actions, saying, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.

He did not say the words, If you are willing, as if He were ignorant of whether it was pleasing to the Father. This knowledge was no more difficult than knowing His Father’s substance, which He alone knew clearly, as He says in John: As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father. Nor does He say this as if refusing His Passion. For how could He who rebuked a disciple for wishing to prevent His Passion—so much so that He called him Satan even after many commendations—be unwilling to be crucified?

Consider, then, why this was said. What a great thing it was to hear that the unspeakable God, who surpasses all understanding, was willing to enter the Virgin’s womb, to be nursed at her breast, and to undergo everything human. Since what was about to happen was almost incredible, He first sent prophets to announce it. Afterward, He Himself came clothed in flesh, so that you could not imagine Him to be a phantom. He allows His flesh to endure all natural weaknesses—to hunger, to thirst, to sleep, to labor, to be afflicted, and to be tormented. For this reason, He also does not refuse death, so that He might thereby reveal His true humanity.

St. Ambrose of Milan: He says, then, If you are willing, remove this cup from me, as a man, refusing death, and as God, upholding His own decree.

The Venerable Bede: Or, He begs for the cup to be removed from Him, not from fear of suffering, but from His compassion for the Jewish people, so that they would not have to drink the cup that He drank first. Therefore, He says specifically not, Remove the cup from Me, but this cup—that is, the cup of the Jewish people, who can have no excuse for their ignorance in slaying Me, since they have the Law and the Prophets prophesying about Me daily.

St. Dionysius of Alexandria: Or, when He says, Let this cup pass from me, He does not mean that it should not come to Him, for unless it had come, it could not pass away. It was when He perceived it was already present that He began to be afflicted and sorrowful. Since it was near, He says, let this cup pass. Just as something that has passed can be said neither to have not come nor to still remain, so the Savior first asks that the temptation, which was lightly assailing Him, might pass away. This is the meaning of not entering into temptation, for which He counsels us to pray.

The most perfect way of avoiding temptation, however, is revealed when He says, Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. For God is not a tempter to evil; rather, He wishes to grant us good things beyond what we either desire or understand. Therefore, He seeks for the perfect will of His Father, which He Himself knew, to determine the outcome. This will is the same as His own with respect to His divine nature, but He shrinks from fulfilling the human will, which He calls His own and which is subordinate to His Father’s will.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: For here He reveals a twofold will: one is human, which belongs to the flesh, and the other is divine. Our human nature, because of the weakness of the flesh, shrinks from the Passion, but His divine will eagerly embraced it, for it was not possible for Him to be held by death.

Gregory of Nyssa: Now, Apollinaris asserts that Christ did not have His own will according to His earthly nature, but that only the will of God, who descends from heaven, exists in Christ. Let him then say: what will is it that God would by no means want to be fulfilled? For the divine nature does not negate its own will.

The Venerable Bede: As He drew near to His Passion, the Savior also took upon Himself the words of a weak man. Just as when something threatens us that we do not wish to happen, we then, through weakness, ask that it might not be, so that we also may be prepared with fortitude to find our Creator’s will to be contrary to our own.