Matthew 26:40Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Everyone was asleep as He admonished Peter, reminding him of his previous statements. He emphasized the phrase "with me," as if to imply, “You are unable to stay awake with me; how can you possibly give your life for me?” This idea is further conveyed in the admonition, “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Observe how He instructs them to avoid arrogance, encouraging them instead to humble their minds and hearts, fully entrusting everything to God. He addresses Peter specifically, saying, “Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you” (Luke 22:31-32). And to all of them, He urges them to pray that they do not fall into temptation, consistently diminishing their pride and prompting them to remain vigilant.

Peter, along with the other disciples, showed courage, yet he highlights their doubts, portraying them as individuals who acted impulsively. He particularly addresses Peter with the question, "Have you not been able to keep watch with me one hour?"

The individual who previously declared that he would not be swayed by temptation, no matter how many were tested regarding him, now found himself unable to resist the heaviness of sleep due to profound anguish.

The phrase "Tako li" should be interpreted with a sense of inquiry. While others were in slumber, he confronted him, primarily as someone more passionate, asking, "Did you vow to act in this manner? You pledged to stand with me unto death, yet you were unable to stay awake for even one hour?" According to Mark 14:37, the Lord questioned Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not remain vigilant for one hour?" Mark records the Savior’s words to Peter, "Simon, can you really sleep?"

The fact that Jesus, upon His return, discovers His disciples asleep—rebuking them the first time, remaining silent the second, and instructing them to rest the third—can be understood in this manner: first, after His Resurrection, He chastised them for their disbelief and hardness of heart, as those who witnessed His resurrection still did not believe (Mk. 16:14). Secondly, when the Holy Spirit was sent, He found them in slumber, their eyes weighed down and unable to see the freedom of the gospel; they had been ensnared by their attachment to the law for some time, and their faith remained in a state of slumber. Finally, upon His return in glory, He granted them peace and serenity.

We have witnessed the Redeemer in the garden of Gethsemane, fervently praying on our behalf. Let us revisit this sacred space and observe what else our beloved Redeemer is engaged in there. Although it may appear that He was consumed by the turmoil of His soul, He remained deeply concerned for the well-being of His cherished disciples. Each time He completed His prayers, He would return to His disciples to caution them against impending peril, and this occurred on three occasions. What a remarkable expression of divine care! In the midst of His own suffering, He did not neglect His own. To all shepherds, teachers, and leaders: this serves as a vital lesson—in the midst of your trials and the pressures of your ministry, do not allow your concerns for those you shepherd to diminish.

The Lord approached His disciples and discovered them sleeping. The combination of deep sorrow and the heavy burden of impending separation, which He had recently forewarned them about, along with the exhaustion from a full day’s work, had drained their physical strength, rendering them incapable of prayer. Peter, who had pledged just an hour earlier to sacrifice his life for Jesus, was also in slumber. The Lord addressed him with a heavy heart, saying to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Are you truly asleep, or have you forgotten your identity as the rock of faith? Could you not stay alert with me for even one hour? Did you not declare you were willing to die for Me? Now you are asleep; what will you do when true peril arises? This danger is imminent; do not place your trust in yourselves but remain vigilant and pray so that you may not succumb to temptation.”

The Lord prayed for a full hour; however, the details of both the ongoing prayer and its conclusion remain unknown, as the disciples chosen to witness this moment succumbed to sleep at its onset. Once Jesus completed His prayer, He approached His disciples seeking comfort in their companionship, only to discover them asleep. It was disheartening to realize that even Peter, who hours earlier had vowed to die for his Master, succumbed to the typical frailty. “Simon, are you asleep?” - (Mark 14:37).

In this profound conflict, the Savior was not devoid of support. Just as He had been fortified by an angel during His initial temptation by the devil in the wilderness, He received divine assistance once again. However, those closest to Him, including His disciples, failed to offer Him any solace or strength. When the Savior emerged from the depths of the thicket, He found His disciples in slumber. Even Peter was asleep, and to him in particular, the Savior spoke gently with a reproach: “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not fall into temptation.” Immediately, seeming to express understanding of their human frailty, Christ added, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

It is indeed surprising that all of the disciples succumbed to slumber during such a critical moment when their Master was engulfed in profound grief, especially knowing He faced death that very night and having just expressed His yearning for their companionship and vigilance. To understand this, we should (1) consider the observation made by Luke, the Evangelist, that the disciples fell asleep “for sorrow” (Luke 22:45). Numerous studies affirm that profound sorrow can lead to deep sleep; (2) we can assume that the Lord's prayer extended over a significant period, as suggested by His admonition, “ye could not keep awake one hour.” During that time, fatigue likely overwhelmed them.

Following a profound moment of prayer, fortified by the visitation of an angel, the incarnate Son of God approached His disciples to uplift their sorrowful hearts, only to find them asleep. “Simon, are you asleep?” the Lord inquired of Peter, who had recently expressed his willingness to sacrifice his life for Him (John 13:37). “Could you not stay awake and strive for one hour? You vowed to die with Me, yet you couldn’t remain vigilant even for an hour?” (Bl. Theophylact). He then turned to the remaining Apostles with similar words of admonition: “Is it truly beyond you to watch with Me for just one hour? In this moment, He sought to teach them “to set aside pride and to lower themselves, wholly entrusting everything to God” (St. John Chrysostom). He continued, “Why are you asleep?