Thomas Aquinas Commentary Matthew 26:30-46

"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the mount of Olives. Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended in me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter answered and said unto him, If all shall be offended in thee, I will never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter saith unto him, Even if I must die with thee, [yet] will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go yonder and pray. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and sore troubled. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: abide ye here, and watch with me. And he went forward a little, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, My Father, if this cannot pass away, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And he left them again, and went away, and prayed a third time, saying again the same words. Then cometh he to the disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that betrayeth me." — Matthew 26:30-46 (ASV)

After the institution of the new Sacrament has been related, Christ here foretells the future stumbling of the disciples. The Evangelist, first, establishes the place where Christ foretells their stumbling; and second, the prediction of their stumbling is related, where it is said, Then He says to them.

This place is fitting for what preceded and what follows; therefore, the place can be associated with both. He says, therefore: And when they had sung a hymn. By this He gives us an example of two things: first, it was a material supper and meal, after which we should give thanks and praise God: The poor shall eat and shall be filled: and they shall praise the LORD that seek him (Psalms 21:27). Likewise, after this meal, there was a sacramental supper, after which we also should give thanks.

Therefore, after that meal, He sang a hymn. Consequently, the hymn that is said in the Mass after Communion represents that hymn; for that reason, the faithful should wait until the end of Mass to hear this hymn. And this is what is said: Father, glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you (John 17:1).

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives signifies abundance, because olives are full of oil; therefore, it signifies spiritual abundance. His bread shall be fat (Genesis 49:20). Thus, it signifies the abundance of grace and heavenly glory to which it leads: The mountain of God is a fat mountain (Psalms 67:16). Oil soothes weary limbs, it lessens sorrow, it provides fuel and brightness to fire. So it will be in that glory, because all labor and every sorrow will be eliminated; all glory will be there.

Likewise, what He says, to the Mount of Olives, is fitting for Christ’s prediction of the future. Oil signifies mercy: for just as it floats above other liquids, so mercy is above the other virtues: His tender mercies are over all his works (Psalms 144:9). Similarly, He is showing the disciples' stumbling on the Mount of Olives, so that His foreseen mercy might be signified: Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholds him with his hand (Psalms 37:24).¹

Then He says, All of you shall be scandalized in me. Here, their stumbling on the Mount of Olives is signified. This is shown in two ways:

1. It is signified in general.
2. It is signified in particular, where it is said, And Peter answering.

Regarding the first point, He does two things:

1. He foretells their stumbling.
2. So that His prediction would not seem accidental, He cites a passage: For it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed.

From these words, it can be seen that the sin of the disciples was aggravated for many reasons:

1. It is aggravated by its universality: All of you; From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it (Isaiah 1:6).
2. The nature of the sin is mentioned: All of you shall be scandalized in me; We preach Christ crucified: to the Jews a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 1:23). The Jews, because they sought nothing but the weakness of the flesh, took offense.
3. The sin is aggravated by the nearness of the time, because it was after so many warnings and after the reception of the Sacrament. Therefore, they had already forgotten what He had done for them, for which reason they are rightly compared to a man looking at his own face in a mirror: For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was (James 1:23–24).
4. Furthermore, the sin was at night, because those who are drunk, and who sleep, sleep in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:7); so, likewise, those who are scandalized are scandalized at night.

Then He adds the reference from Scripture: For it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed. And it is written: Strike the shepherd, namely Christ, and the sheep shall be scattered (Zechariah 13:7).² Now here it is said, I will strike, and it agrees sufficiently, because the prophet desired this to happen, for which reason he said, Strike the shepherd; but Christ is speaking in His own person. The prophet is, first, foretelling Christ’s Passion on that terrible day; second, he is foretelling the stumbling, when he says, I will strike the shepherd.

This shepherd is Christ: I am the good shepherd (John 10:11), and, But you are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls (1 Peter 2:25). And He Himself was struck, because God delivered Him, for He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all (Romans 8:32); and He did this on account of our sins: For the transgression of my people was he stricken (Isaiah 53:8).

Likewise, He foretells the stumbling and that the sheep will be dispersed. The sheep are the faithful: My sheep hear my voice (John 10:27). And so God allowed them to be dispersed, so that afterwards they might be gathered: He gathers together the outcasts of Israel (Psalms 147:2).³ And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring (John 10:16).

Then He foretells the joy of the Resurrection: But after I have risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Although the Father resurrected Him, as it is said elsewhere, Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death (Acts 2:24), nevertheless, He rose by His own power, because the Father’s power is the Son’s power: For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives by the power of God (2 Corinthians 13:4).

Similarly, contrary to what He had said, namely, that the sheep shall be dispersed, He says, I will go before you into Galilee. For the sheep follow the shepherd; therefore, the shepherd gathers them by calling them by name, for which reason He says, I will go before you.

Alternatively, this can be referred to what He says, After I have risen again. Because some might suppose that there would be much time until His Resurrection, He said that there would not be much time, because I will go before you into Galilee. His custom was to stay a short time in Judea and to go over quickly into Galilee. Therefore, He wished to say, ‘I will rise again before you can come to Galilee,’ to show that He Himself will appear to them. For that reason, they could be sufficiently assured.

Similarly, what He says, that He will go before, gives security. Because they were suffering persecution in Judea, He says that He will go before them into Galilee to take away their fear.

Chrysostom says that it should not be understood that He first appeared in Galilee. He did appear there, but not at first, for He appeared first in Jerusalem. Why then does He rather say, into Galilee?

Galilee is interpreted to mean ‘a passing.’ Therefore, it signifies that by the resurrection we will pass from mortal life to immortal life; and in this passing, He went before us, because Christ is the firstfruits of them that sleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). Likewise, the passing of the disciples to the Gentiles is signified; and in this, Christ went before them by moving the hearts of the Gentiles.

And Peter answering. Here the prediction of Peter’s stumbling is related. This is done in three parts:

1. The occasion is related.
2. The prediction is related.
3. Peter’s excuse is related.

The second part is where it is said, Jesus said to him, etc.; and the third part is where it is said, Peter says to him, etc.

Here there is a question about the literal sequence, because it seems that Peter said this after they had left the supper-room. However, Luke 22:34–39 seems to say that He said this before they had left, and John 13:36-38 is consistent with this.

Augustine resolves the question by saying that Peter said this three times, and so all accounts are in agreement, etc., because if we consider the narrative, he said this for several reasons. Here, he was motivated by the fact that Christ had foretold their stumbling. The Lord had said, But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail (Luke 22:32), and then Peter said, Lord, I am ready to go with you, both into prison and to death.

But in John, it is said for another reason; for in John 13:33 the Lord said, Where I am going, you cannot come; so I say to you now. Then Peter said, I will lay down my life for you. Thus he spoke three times; therefore, it can be that he spoke twice in the supper-room, but he spoke once outside, as it is said here. It can also be that he was speaking out of fervor and was not considering his own strength.

Nevertheless, he sinned in three ways:

1. He sinned because he did not believe the Lord more than himself, even though it is written, Let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4).
2. He sinned because he preferred himself to the others; hence, he also said, Though all men shall be offended in you, yet will I never be offended.⁴ Thus, he considered himself to be more steadfast than the others, and he fell into what is said: I am not as other men are, etc. (Luke 18:11).
3. He was attributing to himself what he should not, since it is written, Without me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

Therefore, because he had spoken arrogantly, God more readily permitted him to fall. And God does this because He hates pride: Behold every one that is proud, and abase him (Job 40:11).⁵

Jesus says to him: Amen I say to you, that this night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times. ‘Because you might have thought that I was speaking threateningly, therefore I say to you, Amen, that is to say, I speak to you sincerely, that this night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ And Peter’s guilt is aggravated by the proximity of the time, because it happened this night. Likewise, it is aggravated by the multiplicity of his denials, because he did this three times: for just as he had presumed three times, so also he denied Him three times after his presumption; If my heart has been secretly enticed (Job 31:27).

But there is a question concerning these words, Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times; because in Mark 14:30 it is stated: before the cock crows twice. According to Augustine, the question can be resolved by saying that what Mark says is historically correct. And what Matthew says can be explained as follows: a man is said to do something when he intends to do it, as it was said above: Whoever looks on a woman to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28). So Peter was prepared to deny Him three times, or even more times; for what caused his fear sufficed for denying Him three or more times. Therefore, Matthew says that Peter denied Him three times before the cock crew because he was already prepared to deny Him three or more times.

Hence, Matthew said what he was interiorly intending to do; but Mark said what he exteriorly did. Or it can be explained otherwise, as when I say, ‘I will do this within such a time,’ then it is not necessary that it be done within that time, but it suffices that the action will have been started within that time.

Hence, when Matthew said that Peter was going to deny Him three times before the crowing of the cock, it was not necessary that all his denials be completed before the crowing of the cock, but merely begun.

Peter’s excuse follows, where it is said, Peter says to him, etc. Peter excuses himself because he says, Though I should die with you, I will not deny you. And, nevertheless, he was afraid, because at the voice of a servant girl he denied Him. Jerome says that he did not know what he was saying, because only Christ was going to die, as only He was the Redeemer: I have trodden the winepress alone (Isaiah 63:3).

Then he relates an affirmation, namely, of the others in like manner, and all the disciples said that they would not deny Him. Hence, they spoke as Peter did; nevertheless, the others had more reason than Peter for excusing themselves, because the others spoke without Peter’s assertion.

Then Jesus came with them to a country place which is called Gethsemane. In this part, the preparation for the Lord’s Passion is related, which is by prayer; and the Evangelist does three things. First, Christ’s intention of praying is related; second, the necessity of praying is related; and third, the difference between the prayer of Christ and of the disciples is related.

The second part is where it is said, And taking Peter, etc.; the third part is where it is said, And going a little further, he fell upon his face.

About the first point, he does two things. First, the place is related; and second, Christ makes known His intention of praying. He says, therefore: Then Jesus came with them to a country place which is called Gethsemane.

The contrary seems to be said in John 18:1, namely, that Jesus went forth with his disciples over the brook Kidron. Hence, it should be observed that the country place was at the foot of the Mount of Olives, therefore, the places were the same; and they came there after the supper as if for a walk.

Then He announces His intention of praying and so He said to His disciples: Sit here, while I go over there and pray. Something similar is found in Genesis 22:5: Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship, and come again to you.’

But here Damascene raises a question. Prayer is the ascent to God, but Christ’s intellect was joined to God; why, therefore, did God who was doing this need to do this? Hence, it may be said that He was praying not for His own sake, but for our benefit, and this benefit was twofold: He prayed to give us an example, so that we might have recourse to Him in times of tribulation: In my distress I cried to the LORD (Psalms 120:1). Likewise, it was to show that He is from another Person, and what He possesses is from another Person; hence, He says: The Son can do nothing of himself (John 5:19) and I do nothing of myself (John 8:28). Moreover, it was to exclude an error, because some men said that the Father’s and the Son’s power were not the same: I honor my Father (John 8:49). He, therefore, gives an example of praying, and how one should pray. For the first condition of prayer is that prayer should be humble: which is signified because He went to a valley: The prayer of the humble and the meek has always pleased you .⁶ Likewise, prayer should be devout; hence, He prayed in Gethsemane, namely, in a garden of abundance: My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness (Psalms 63:5).⁷ Similarly, it should be solitary, as it was said above: Enter into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father (Matthew 6:6).

And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, etc. Here, He proclaims the need for His prayer: and the need was His sadness. And first, the Evangelist relates the witnesses of His sadness; second, Christ shows His sadness; and third, Christ repels His sadness. The second part is where it is said, He began to grow sorrowful and to be sad; the third part is where it is said, Stay here and watch with me.

He says, therefore: And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, etc. He took three Apostles with Him. And why did He take these rather than the others? One reason is that these were more firm, and because His weakness caused them all to stumble, for that reason, He wished to show His weakness to these rather than to the others.

Likewise, He had chosen these men to show them His glory; for that reason, as they had seen His glory, so they would see His weakness, so that they might know that neither weakness absorbs glory, nor glory weakness.

The showing of His weakness follows. And first, He shows His weakness by an action; second, He shows it by His words. And according to this, the Evangelist does three things: for first, he says in what respect Christ was sad; second, he says why He was sad; and third, he says how He was sad. In regard to the first point, He began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Here one should beware of two errors: because certain men said that He was sad according to His divinity: and this cannot be, for He was sad because He was passible, but the divinity is not passible. Likewise, the opinion of the Arians, and also of Eunomius, was that there was no soul in Christ, but instead the Word took the place of His soul.

And why was he saying this? It was so that everything that pertained to a defect was referred to the Word, so as to show that He was less than the Father, and this is false. For that reason, He suffered according to that which could suffer, meaning according to His soul.

Then he says to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death, etc. He does not say: ‘I am sad,’ because ‘I’ is indicative of the person, but He was not sad insofar as He is the Word, but according to His soul. Therefore, the error of Arius and Apollinarius is excluded; likewise, the error of Manichaeus is excluded, who asserted that He did not truly suffer. Hence, it is evident, according to what is said here, that He was sad.

But why was He sad? The Saints explain this in various ways. For Hilary and many others said that He was not sad for His own sake, nor on account of His death, but on account of the disciples' stumbling: and He tries to prove this by the fact that He took them with Him. Damascene says that He was sad for His own sake. And why? It is because sadness is within us due to the fact that we lack what we naturally love. The soul naturally wants to be united to the body, and this was in Christ’s soul, because He ate, He drank, and He hungered. Therefore, the separation was against a natural desire: and so to be separated was something sad for Him.

Nevertheless, we can understand that something was in the soul for its own sake and something was in the soul by comparison with something else: just as a bitter drink, considered in itself, is sorrowful; but related to the end of our health, it is a cause of joy.

Just as one thing is the reason in respect to its nature and something else is the reason in another respect: so the death of Christ, considered in itself, was the reason for His sadness; but in that it was related to another reason, as referring to the purpose of His death, in this way He rejoiced. Therefore, the words of Hilary and of Jerome are understood as referring to the purpose of His death.

Likewise, it is asked how sadness occurred in Christ. Therefore, it should be observed that sometimes sadness occurs as a passion, sometimes it occurs as a propassion. Sadness occurs as a passion when something is suffered and one is changed: but when something is suffered and one does not change, then one has a propassion. But sometimes passions of this kind are in us, such that reason is changed, and then the passions are complete: however, when reason is not changed, then it is a propassion. But in Christ His reason was never changed; for that reason, there was a propassion in Christ, and not a passion. Hence, the Evangelist significantly says: He began to grow sorrowful. Likewise, Augustine says that we have sadness as something contracted.

Christ, however, had sadness as something assumed: for that is contracted, which is had by being born through origin; but Christ assumed our nature as He willed. Therefore, there was no need to take on passibility such as sadness, but He took it on by His will. Similarly, it should be observed what Damascene says, namely, that in us the movement of the passions forestalls reason, because sometimes there is passion in us, and other times there is propassion. In Christ, however, there was nothing except propassion, and it never was in Christ that a movement would arise in the lower powers of the soul, for on the contrary, the lower powers were completely subject to reason: and when He wished, He permitted the lower powers to act according to what was natural to them.

Therefore, another Evangelist said that He troubled Himself, because these movements could not have occurred except to the degree that He wished.

Then he says to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Note what He says, even unto death, by which I will satisfy for this stumbling and for others. Or, according to another exposition: ‘You should not suppose that my passibility is bound to last forever; because as long as my body will be passible, and this is even unto death, my soul is sorrowful, but then it will be glorified.’

Then He excludes the other disciples: Stay here and watch with me. And going a little further, he fell on his face, praying and saying. Above, the Evangelist mentioned the cause of Christ’s sadness; here, however, he treats of the order of Christ’s prayer. And because He prayed three times, for that reason, this part is divided into three parts according to His three prayers. And about the first, he does two things. First, he relates the prayer of the one praying; and second, he relates how Christ rebukes the failing of the disciples, where it is said, And he comes to his disciples, etc.

And in the first prayer, he relates the condition of the one praying; and second, he relates the tenor of the prayer. Now, His threefold condition is commended, because first, the Evangelist notes His earnestness; second, he notes His humility; and third, he notes His devotion. He notes His solicitude, because he says, going a little further; because He even separated Himself from those He had chosen: But you, when you pray, enter into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret (Matthew 6:6).

But observe that He did not go very far but a short distance, to indicate that He is not far from those calling upon Him: The LORD is near to all them that call upon him (Psalms 145:18). Likewise, He went a little further so that His disciples might see Him praying, and they might have an example: for that reason, also His humility follows: And he fell on his face; hence, He shows an example of humility. And first, He did this on account of humility in general, because humility is necessary for prayer: The prayer of him that humbles himself shall pierce the clouds .⁸ Similarly, He did this for the humility of one individual, namely Peter, because he had said: Though I should die with you, I will not deny you. Therefore, the Lord fell, to signify that one should not rely upon one’s own strength: Learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29).

Moreover, the condition of piety or devotion is signified, when He says, My Father; for it is necessary for one praying that he pray with devotion. Hence, it is said, My Father, because He is uniquely the Son; we, however, are sons by adoption: I ascend to my Father and to your Father (John 20:17); it is as though He is My Father in one way and yours in another.

Afterwards, he adds the tenor of His prayer: If it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. This prayer can be expounded in three ways; and in whatever way that it is expounded two things should be considered. First, you should consider it generally in relation to every prayer, because, according to Damascene, prayer is the ascent of the mind to God: hence, prayer relates to the mind, or relates to the higher reason; and, nevertheless, prayer is constituted below God, yet above human nature, or prayer is under the divine will.

Therefore, what should be understood? He prayed in such a way since His higher reason descended to these things, inasmuch as it was fitting; nevertheless, He willed that His will would always be subject to the Divine Reason. This is noted when it is said, Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will; because His higher reason follows the will of nature, yet not simply, meaning, provided the will of nature does not conflict with the higher reason.

Hence, He wishes to say: ‘I will that what I want be fulfilled if it does not conflict with Your justice, but on the contrary, I will that Your justice be fulfilled.’ And in this, He gives an example how we should order our affections, because we should order them in this manner, so that they should not be discordant with the Divine rule.

Hence, it is not a grave matter that someone shrinks from what is onerous, provided he orders his will to the divine will. Likewise, it can be expounded, according to Chrysostom and Origen, such that, by the chalice, Christ’s Passion is signified, concerning which it is said: I will take the cup of salvation, etc. (Psalms 116:13).⁹ It is evident that Christ had a man’s natural will; now this is what shrinks from death. Therefore, to show that He is a man, He asks that the chalice pass from Him. Therefore, He said: If it be possible, let this chalice pass from me, meaning His Passion, but it is as though He said: ‘I do not speak absolutely, but if it be possible.’ And because someone might suppose that He doubted whether it were possible for God, for that reason, He shows that it is possible, because He also said all things are possible to you (Mark 14:36).

Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will, that is to say, if it is befitting to Your justice, I will this; therefore, He says: Not as I will. Hence, He mentions two wills: He mentions one which He has from the Father insofar as He is God, for He had one will which He possesses with the Father (and in these words, the error of many men is confounded); likewise, He had another will insofar as He is a man. And He was submitting this will in all things to the Father; in this He is giving us an example, that we should submit our will to God’s will: I came down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38). According to Jerome, He was not asking simply; but He was asking that this chalice would pass, because He saw that He would suffer from the Jews. Therefore, He wanted that this chalice would pass, meaning that He might redeem the world in such a way that it would not be the Jews’ sin: The fall of the Jews is the salvation of the Gentiles (Romans 11:11, paraphrased).¹⁰ Hilary, however, speaks thus: The Lord does not ask not to die, but He asks that the chalice pass to other men; it is as though He were to say: ‘I will take the chalice with confidence. I ask that My disciples will take it without hesitation.’ But why does He say, If it be possible? It is because it would seem unnatural that they would accept death without sorrow. Hence, He means to say: ‘I would want them not to suffer, if it were possible; but let it happen as You will,’ meaning according to Your ordination.

And he comes to his disciples. Here He rebukes a fault of the disciples. And first, the fault is related; second, the rebuke is related; third, the admonition is related; and fourth, the reason for the admonition is related. When He had prayed, He comes to his disciples and finds them asleep. He states the literal reason, namely, part of the night had already passed and, for that reason, they were sleepy. Likewise, there was another reason, for they were sad men, and sleep easily creeps up upon such persons: A sorrowful spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22). Similarly, it is signified that when Christ was going up to His Passion for us, many were sleeping, as it was said above, They all slumbered and slept (Matthew 25:5).

And he says to Peter: What? Could you not watch one hour with me? But why does He speak to Peter rather than to the others? The reason is that Peter had boasted of himself, more than the others, that he would help Him in His necessities: for that reason, it was already a presage of his fall that would occur. Could you not watch one hour with me? And what is the reason why He later said this to them all? It was because all had promised with Peter; hence, it was said above: And in like manner said all the disciples.

Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. In this part, the admonition is added. ‘You trust in yourselves; but you should take refuge in the assistance of prayer: hence, pray that you enter not into temptation.’ Hence, in the general prayer He teaches us to ask this: And lead us not into temptation (Matthew 6:13). And He begins with vigilance as the preparation: Before prayer prepare your soul , meaning prudence is necessary: Be therefore wise as serpents (Matthew 10:16).

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak; it is as though He were to say: ‘What you promise, from its promptness is the spirit; yet, nevertheless, prayer is not necessary because of the spirit, but because of the flesh, which is weak; for that reason, vigilance is necessary.’ It is similar to what the Apostle says: The body indeed is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness (Romans 8:10).

But it should be observed that of all things the flesh is the weakest, but not all men have a prompt spirit: in wicked men, in fact, as the flesh is weak, so also is the spirit. On the other hand, in good men, because they have a prompt spirit, for that reason, at the Resurrection the spirit will render the flesh prompt. Or there can be a twofold weakness. One weakness is evil which inclines to sin, according to what the Apostle says: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing (Romans 7:18). The other weakness is good, in that the flesh is weak through promptness, according to that which is said: Tell my beloved that I languish with love (Song of Solomon 5:8). And, for this reason, a man should watch, as Origen says, just like he who has a great treasure watches carefully to guard it.

Again the second time, he went and prayed. Here He prays a second time. According to Chrysostom, He prays a second time to more surely demonstrate His human nature: hence: And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God (Genesis 41:32). Now, that which He says: If this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, your will be done, can be explained in three ways. First, it can be explained as follows. Above, He had asked conditionally; here, however, because it was certified that it could not be that He would not drink it, therefore, He asks that His will be done. It is as though He would say: ‘If it cannot be that I shall not pass over into the glory of immortality’ (because His mortality was not contracted but assumed: for that reason, whether He suffer or not, He was to pass over into the glory of immortality). But the chalice could not pass from Him nor from His members; hence, if He would not drink, it would not pass from His members. He wishes, therefore, to say: ‘If it cannot pass from Me and from My members, your will be done’; To do your will, O my God, I have desired it (Psalms 40:8).¹¹ Second, Jerome explains it thus: ‘If it cannot be that the truth can pass to the Gentiles, unless the Jews sin exceedingly, your will be done: for their sin has become the salvation of the Gentiles.’ Hilary explains it thus: ‘If it cannot be that other saints drink the chalice of My Passion except by My example, your will be done’; because other saints have taken an example from Christ’s Passion. Therefore, He wishes to say: ‘If this chalice cannot pass from Me to My disciples, unless I will drink it, so that they might be made stronger for drinking it, your will be done.’

Afterwards, the second sleeping of the disciples is related: And he came again and found them sleeping: for their eyes were heavy, with sleep, meaning on account of sleep and on account of sadness: My eye is consumed with grief (Psalms 31:9).¹²

And leaving them, he went again: and he prayed the third time. Here, the Evangelist treats of the third prayer: and he does two things. First, he relates the order of the prayer; and second, he relates Christ’s concession of sleep, where it is said, Then he comes to his disciples, etc.

He says: And leaving them, he went again: and he prayed the third time, saying the selfsame word. But what does it signify that He prayed three times? He prayed three times to free us from past, present, and future evils. Likewise, He did this to teach us to direct our prayer to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; hence, in the prayers of the Church, it is always said: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.” Similarly, He did this to free Peter, by His threefold prayer, from his triple denial: I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith may not fail (Luke 22:32). Moreover, He prayed three times against three fears.

For there is fear of a threefold concupiscence: of curiosity, of pride, and of the flesh. And these three concupiscences are mentioned in 1 John 2:16: For all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life. A threefold fear corresponds to this triple concupiscence, namely: the fear of pain corresponds to the concupiscence of the flesh; the fear of poverty corresponds to the concupiscence of the eyes; and the fear of shame and ignominy corresponds to the concupiscence of pride. And Christ suffered these things, not because He needed to do so, but for our sake.

Then he comes to his disciples and said to them. And first, He is indulgent to their sleeping; and second He wakes them, where it is said, Rise: let us go. First, He gives His allowance of their sleep; and second, He assigns the reason for waking them, where it is said, Behold the hour is at hand: and the Son of man shall be betrayed.

Christ found them sleeping the first time and He rebuked them; He found them sleeping the second time, and He was silent; and the third time He found them sleeping, He permitted them to sleep. What is the reason? The literal reason is that to prelates is given a model of correction; because when a prelate comes to someone, and he finds him sleeping, he does not know if it happens to him due to negligence or due to weakness.

And he can be indulgent. Likewise, it is because, after His Resurrection, He found the disciples sleeping, and he reproved them: O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe (Luke 24:25). Likewise, He visited them after the receiving of the Holy Spirit, because they were still weak; because they were still observing the ceremonies of the Law, as it was said concerning Peter (Galatians 2). But He will lastly visit at His Coming, and He will leave them in a holy and peaceful sleep: In peace I will both lay me down and sleep (Psalms 4:8).¹³ According to Augustine, He allowed them to sleep, and above He forbade them to sleep: but there is one kind of sleep here; and there is another kind above. For there is a sleep of weariness; and concerning this, He speaks above; and this sleep should be rebuked. Here, however, the sleep is the sleep of rest; and this kind of sleep is permitted. Moreover, there is a sleep due to troubling; and this sleep is forbidden. Concerning this sleep it is said: Awake you that sleep, and arise from the dead (Ephesians 5:14). For sometimes there is a sleep on account of the rest of the body, yet nevertheless the soul watches. I sleep, but my heart wakes (Song of Solomon 5:2). Similarly, because they were about to labor, for that reason, it was fitting that they rest. Then He assigns the reason: Behold the hour is at hand. He did not have to do this by some necessity, but by the divine ordination: They sought therefore to apprehend him: and no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come (John 7:30). But this hour had come: Jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he should pass out of this world to the Father (John 13:1). But some might say: If the hour is by divine ordination, then they did not sin in killing Him. Therefore, when He relates this sin, He says: the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners, meaning they do not do this such that it is by the divine ordination, but from the fulfilling of their own will. I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies (Jeremiah 12:7). Then the Evangelist relates the waking up. And first, he relates it; and second, he relates the need for waking them, where it is said, Behold he is at hand that will betray me. By the fact, however, that Christ says, Rise, He shows His promptness; hence, in John 18, it is said that He met them. And why did He do this? Behold he is at hand that will betray me. He knew that he was near, not because He saw him with the eyes of His body, but rather He saw him with His spirit itself, namely, with the eye of His divinity.

But why did He say to them, Rise, since He had given them permission to sleep? Augustine solves this question, saying that He had said this rebuking them; it is as though He were to say: ‘Sleep as much as you like: Behold the hour is at hand, etc.’ And Augustine says that this explanation suffices, unless a better one comes along; for that reason, he says otherwise that these disciples slept a little, and when they had slept, He said: Rise: let us go.

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¹ The author cites Psalm 36:24. The wording is closer to Psalm 37:24 in KJV/modern English Bibles. The reference is preserved as in the original.

² The author cites Zechariah 13:6. The wording "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered" is found in Zechariah 13:7 in KJV/modern English Bibles. The reference is preserved as in the original.

³ The author cites Psalm 146:2. The wording is closer to Psalm 147:2 in KJV/modern English Bibles. The reference is preserved as in the original.

⁴ The author's quote "Although all shall be scandalized in thee, I will never be scandalized" has been modernized. Compare to Matthew 26:33 (KJV): "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended."

⁵ The author cites Job 40:6. The quote "And beholding every arrogant man, he humbles him" is closer to Job 40:11-12 in KJV/modern English Bibles. The reference is preserved as in the original, and the quote modernized from the author's version.

⁶ The author cites Judith 9:15 (Vulgate). This corresponds to Judith 9:11 in some English versions. The reference is preserved as in the original.

⁷ The author cites Psalm 62:6 (Vulgate). This corresponds to Psalm 63:5 in KJV/modern English Bibles. The reference is preserved as in the original.

⁸ The author cites Ecclesiasticus 35:21 (Vulgate). This corresponds to Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 35:17 in some English versions. The reference is preserved as in the original.

⁹ The author cites Psalm 115:13 (Vulgate, second part of Ps 116 in KJV). This corresponds to Psalm 116:13 in KJV/modern English Bibles. The reference is preserved as in the original.

¹⁰Romans 11:11 (KJV): "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy." The author's "The offense of the Jews is the salvation of the Gentiles" is a summary/paraphrase.

¹¹ The author cites Psalm 39:9 (Vulgate). This corresponds to Psalm 40:8 in KJV/modern English Bibles. The reference is preserved as in the original.

¹² The author cites Psalm 30:10 (Vulgate). This corresponds to Psalm 31:9 in KJV/modern English Bibles. The reference is preserved as in the original.

¹³ The author cites Psalm 4:9 (Vulgate). This corresponds to Psalm 4:8 in KJV/modern English Bibles. The reference is preserved as in the original.