Church Fathers Commentary Luke 22:43-46

"And there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground. And when he rose up from his prayer, he came unto the disciples, and found them sleeping for sorrow, and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." — Luke 22:43-46 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: To make the power of prayer known to us, so that we may use it in adversity, our Lord is comforted by an angel while praying.

The Venerable Bede: In another place we read that angels came and ministered to Him. As a testimony, then, to each of His natures, angels are said to have both ministered to Him and comforted Him. For the Creator did not need the protection of His creature; but having become man, just as He is sad for our sakes, so for our sakes He is also comforted.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But some say that the angel appeared, glorifying Him and saying, "O Lord, Yours is the power, for You can vanquish death and deliver weak mankind."

St. John Chrysostom: And because He took our flesh upon Himself not in appearance but in reality, He submits to bearing human suffering in order to confirm the truth of the divine plan. For it follows, And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Many are shocked at this passage, turning the Savior's sorrows into an argument for an inherent weakness from the beginning, rather than something He took upon Himself for a time. But I am so far from considering it something to be excused that I never admire His mercy and majesty more, for He would have bestowed less upon me if He had not taken my feelings upon Himself. He took my sorrow upon Himself so that He might bestow His joy upon me. Therefore, with confidence I name His sadness, because I preach His cross.

He necessarily had to undergo affliction in order to conquer. For those whose wounds have produced numbness rather than pain receive no praise for their fortitude. He wished, therefore, to instruct us on how we should conquer not only death but also what is far greater: the anguish of approaching death.

You suffered then, O Lord, not from Your own wounds but from mine, for he was wounded for our transgressions. And perhaps He is sad because after Adam's fall, the path by which we must depart from this world was such that death became necessary. Nor is it far from the truth that He was sad for His persecutors, whom He knew would suffer punishment for their wicked sacrilege.

St. Gregory the Great: He has also expressed the internal conflict of our minds as death approaches, for we suffer a certain tremor of terror and dread when, through the dissolution of the flesh, we draw near to the eternal judgment. And with good reason, for in a single moment the soul encounters that which can never be changed.

Theophylact of Ohrid: That the preceding prayer came from His human nature and not His divine nature (as the Arians claim) is argued from what is said about His sweat, as it follows: And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

The Venerable Bede: Let no one attribute this sweat to natural weakness; indeed, it is contrary to nature to sweat blood. Rather, let him see in it a declaration to us that He was now obtaining the fulfillment of His prayer—namely, that He might purge by His blood the faith of His disciples, who were still convicted of human frailty.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Our Lord, praying with a bloody sweat, represented the martyrdoms that would flow from His whole body, which is the Church.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or, this is said proverbially of one who has sweated intensely, that he "sweated blood." The Evangelist, then, wishing to show that Jesus was moistened with large drops of sweat, uses "drops of blood" as an example. But afterwards, finding His disciples asleep from sorrow, He rebukes them, at the same time reminding them to pray, for it follows: And when he rose from prayer and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping.

St. John Chrysostom: For it was midnight, and the disciples’ eyes were heavy from grief; their sleep was not from drowsiness but from sorrow.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Now, Luke has not stated after which prayer He came to His disciples, yet in this he does not disagree with Matthew and Mark.

The Venerable Bede: Our Lord proves by what follows that He prayed for His disciples, whom He exhorts through watching and prayer to be partakers of His prayer, for it follows: And he said to them, Why sleep you? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This means that they should not be overcome by temptation, for "not to be led into temptation" is not to be overwhelmed by it. Alternatively, He simply bids us to pray that our lives may be quiet and that we not be cast into any kind of trouble. For it is from the devil, and presumptuous, for a person to throw himself into temptation. Therefore, James did not say, "Cast yourselves into temptation," but, When you are fallen, count it all joy, making a voluntary act out of an involuntary one.