มัทธิว 26:43 วิจารณ์

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings,.... Meaning either all that are recorded by this evangelist, all the sermons and discourses of Christ, delivered both to the people of the Jews, and to his disciples; his conversation with the former, and his divine instructions and prudent advice to the latter, together with all his excellent parables, which are largely related in this book; or else what is said in the two preceding chapters, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of the world, the state of the church, and conduct of his servants to the end of time, expressed in the parables of the virgins and talents, and concerning the last judgment and final state of all men: he said unto his disciples; who now were alone with him: having finished his prophetic, and being about to enter on his priestly office, he gives his disciples some intimations of its near approach.

And he left them, and went away again,.... At some little distance from them; they being so overpowered with sleep, that he could have no conversation with them: and prayed the third time; as the Apostle Paul did, when under temptation, he prayed thrice that it might depart from him, Co2 12:8, saying the same words: the Arabic version renders it, "in the words which he before expressed"; and Munster's Hebrew Gospel reads, "he said the same prayer"; not in the selfsame words, or in the express form he had before delivered it; for it is certain, that his second prayer is not expressed in the same form of words as the first: but the sense is, that he prayed to the same purpose; the matter and substance of his prayer was the same, namely, that he might be exempted from suffering; but if that could not be admitted of, he was desirous to be resigned to the will of his heavenly Father, and was determined to submit unto it.

But notice that after the first prayer "he came to the disciples and found them sleeping." Likewise after the second prayer "he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy." On this, I believe they were the eyes not so much of their bodies as of their souls. Besides, he had not yet removed the heaviness from their eyes, "because he was not yet glorified." And just as "the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified," so too the heaviness had not yet been removed from their eyes "because Jesus was not yet glorified." Therefore he does not rebuke them, but "leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words." He also teaches us through those "same words," that we may not grow faint in prayer but persist in the very words of our prayer until we obtain those things we have begun to pray for.

And I suppose that the eyes of their body were not so much affected as the eyes of their mind, because the Spirit was not yet given them.

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.

That He prays for this a second and a third time, comes of the feelings belonging to human frailty, through which also He feared death, thus giving assurance that He was truly made man. For in Scripture when any thing is repeated a second and third time, that is the greatest proof of its truth and reality; as, for example, when Joseph says to Pharaoh, And for that thou sawedst it twice, it is proof of the thing being established by God. (Gen. 41:32.)

Christ singly prays for all, as He singly suffers for all. Their eyes were heavy, i. e. an oppression and stupefaction came on as their denial drew near.

(Verse 43, 44.) And he came again and found them sleeping. For their eyes were heavy. And leaving them, he went away again and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing. He alone prays for all, just as he alone suffers for everyone. But the apostles' eyes grew weak and burdened by imminent denial.

Or, The Lord prayed thrice, to teach us to pray for pardon of sins past, defence against present evil, and provision against future perils, and that we should address every prayer to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that our spirit, soul, and body should be kept in safety.

He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if this cup can not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done. And He came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And He left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. When you hear that the Lord Himself prayed many times, learn, O man, that you ought to pray continuously when beset by temptations. When Jesus found them sleeping again, He did not rebuke them lest He grieve them, but He let them be. And He left them and prayed for the third time, thus confirming His human nature. For the number three signifies both truth and confirmation.

Consequently, the second falling asleep of the disciples is set forth: and he cometh again and findeth them sleeping: for their eyes were heavy, with sleep, i.e., on account of sleep, and on account of sadness; Ps. 30:10: my eye is troubled through indignation.

GLORIOUS ANGELIC ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, THAT CHRIST IS RISEN--HIS APPEARANCE TO THE WOMEN--THE GUARDS BRIBED TO GIVE A FALSE ACCOUNT OF THE RESURRECTION. ( = Mar 16:1-8; Luk 24:1-8; Joh 20:1). (Mat 28:1-15) In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn--after the Sabbath, as it grew toward daylight. toward the first day of the week--Luke (Luk 24:1) has it, "very early in the morning"--properly, "at the first appearance of daybreak"; and corresponding with this, John (Joh 20:1) says, "when it was yet dark." See on Mar 16:2. Not an hour, it would seem, was lost by those dear lovers of the Lord Jesus. came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary--"the mother of James and Joses" (see on Mat 27:56; Mat 27:61). to see the sepulchre--with a view to the anointing of the body, for which they had made all their preparations. (See on Mar 16:1-2). And, behold, there was--that is, there had been, before the arrival of the women. a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, &c.--And this was the state of things when the women drew near. Some judicious critics think all this was transacted while the women were approaching; but the view we have given, which is the prevalent one, seems the more natural. All this august preparation--recorded by Matthew alone--bespoke the grandeur of the exit which was to follow. The angel sat upon the huge stone, to overawe, with the lightning--luster that darted from him, the Roman guard, and do honor to his rising Lord.