I failed to tithe. I failed to pray today. I failed resisting sin. The list goes on and on. One of the reasons the Bible is so splendid is that it records, often in excruciating detail, the failures of a great many people. It starts in the beginning (obviously) with Adam and Eve's goof in the garden, and goes through the doubts of Abraham, Moses' blatant defiance in the desert, David's tryst with Bathsheba, and all the others.
Then we come to the Gospels. As the end of His time on earth was drawing near, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples. Once there, He takes His inner circle, Peter, James, and John, and withdraws under the dark olive trees to pray. He tells the trio to remain alert (since Jesus knew that the Temple posse was a-comin') and to pray. Jesus leaves them, prays in utter anguish for a few minutes, and returns to His most trusted friends, to find them asleep! Twice!
Presumably, these three disciples more than the other nine would have noticed the tendency of Herod, the priesthood, normal people, and really just about everybody, to attempt to arrest/kill Jesus for most of His public ministry. One would think they would understand that when Jesus says watch, you watch.
If nothing else, these guys were on the edge of their seats constantly, expecting Jesus to suddenly blast the Romans into the Mediterranean and establish God's Kingdom on earth. Just a few days previously, Jesus was paraded into the city as a conquering monarch. The entire city of Jerusalem was expecting fireworks.
But here we have the disciples - the poor, bumbling, human disciples - dosing off when their friend and Lord needed them most. They failed big time.
More times than I would like to admit, I've failed the Lord big time. Some things aren't that big, like when I refuse to talk to that student sitting across from me at the cafe, despite the Holy Spirit nagging me to do so. But a lot of things are pretty big; sin habits going unchallenged, disciplines going unpracticed.
And when I sin, especially when I do it consciously, I am overcome with a searing sense of failure. God has placed the target far away, and try as I might, I just can't hit the mark. What is Jesus' reaction to such failures? Let's turn back to the gospel account.
And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And He said to Peter, "So, you could not watch with me one hour?"
First comes the rebuke. I can imagine the disappointment in Jesus' voice, one of His best friends having failed him.
"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Again, for the second time, He went away and prayed.
After the rebuke comes instructions, and then Jesus says something interesting: almost giving the disciples an excuse. "It's ok that you failed, I know you're trying, but you're only human."
Largely, Jesus reacts the same way with us and our failures. He's at first disappointed, but then reminds us of the task He's set us to, and then reminds us of His grace. Failure is inevitable, and so is God's response: "Keep on keeping on, kid. And don't worry, I've got you covered."
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation...
Colossians 1:21, 22
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