No Wrestling Match (#179 of 365+)

“And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44)

That last night in Gethsemane before his arrest Jesus Christ
struggled with an enormous burden. Although he was willing to offer himself (Ephesians 5:2) he was still a man who faced torturous execution in a few hours. To make matters worse, it would be the first time ever the Son would be out of fellowship with the Father (Mark 15:34). He couldn’t bear this alone. He reached out for his closest friends, those who he loved and said he would die for (John 15:13). And he continuously sought the Father in fervent prayer.

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’ He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing” (Matthew 26:39-44)

Jesus prayed for the Father’s will to be done. He wanted to make sure he and the Father were fighting on the same side. This is the perfect example of how to handle anxieties, frustrations… any burden I might have. Unfortunately my approach has often looked more like Jacob’s self-reliance and opposition to God in Genesis Chapters 31 - 32. Jacob made his own Plan A, Plan B, etc. (he took a worrisome situation into his own hands and he didn’t trust in God’s design). Then he wrestled the Lord for an entire sleepless evening.

The Lord taught Jacob an important lesson that fateful night that applies to all believers: A real face-to-face encounter with God will change my life forever. But it isn’t necessary to have a rough-and-tumble-in-the-dirt-piledriver-to-the-face wrestling match type of prayer. God isn’t my opponent; he’s on my side. I don’t prove my own strength; I rely on his. I must have a stance of humility before God and it’s OK for others to see me in a position of weakness. As the Son of God demonstrated, I need to put the kingdom of God first.

I will close with a snippet of dialogue from the movie Nacho Libre. The main character Ignacio a.k.a. “Nacho” is a monk who wants to be a Luchador (Mexican wrestler) for his own glory. This movie never fails to make me laugh! It’s so ridiculously honest about being human. It takes the sport to a whole new level as Nacho wrestles with others, with himself, and with the Lord:

Nacho [after being prompted by Sister Encarnación]: Ok. Orphans! Listen to Ignacio. I know it is fun to wrestle. A nice piledrive to the face... or a punch to the face... but you cannot do it. Because, it is in the Bible not to wrestle your neighbour.
Chancho: So you've never wrestled?
Nacho: Me? No. Come on. Don't be crazy. I know the wrestlers get all the fancy ladies, and the clothes, and the fancy creams and lotions. But my life is good! Really good! I get to wake up every morning, at 5AM, and make some soup! It's the best. I love it. I get to lay in a bed, all by myself, all of my life! That's fantastic! Go. Go away! Read some books!

Lord, thank you that you’ve already fought the worst of battles for me, and won! May I rest in you and trust in your plan today and every day. Amen.