Watch and Pray

This week I had the opportunity of going with my daughter to the Carl Bloch exhibit at the BYU Museum. I love art and looked forward to going. More so than the art itself, I was affected spiritually as I considered the biblical events depicted in the paintings. The one of Jesus praying in the garden of gethsemane was particularly touching. Consider the words found in Matthew:

36Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

37And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

38Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

40And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

42He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

43And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

44And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

I have pondered these words before. These men were his closest of companions here on the earth. He must have felt so alone as he had to shoulder the burden of all mankind. Just prior to the agony which caused him to "sweat as it were, great drops of blood on the ground" (Luke 22:44), "there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him" (vs. 43). This is the scene depicted in the painting above. At the museum, one of the commentators speculated that the angel possibly was sent from the Father in response to the prayers from all of His children, watching over the greatest event that would ever occur on the earth. Knowing of my weaknesses, I have previously thought that if I were in the situation of watching over the events of the garden, I would have fallen asleep as did his apostles. The thought that, perhaps unencumbered by the weaknesses of the flesh, I could have been watching and praying for him from above and that an angel was sent in answer to all of our prayers, touched me deeply. It made the atonement even more personal to me. I am forever indebted to my Savior and hope that I can now and forever "watch and pray" more earnestly in all that I do.