Matthew 26:43Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When the disciples stumbled upon them dozing once more, the Lord chose not to admonish them in order to spare them sorrow, instead He withdrew.

They were burdened not only by sleep but also by grief, as noted by Luke (Luke 22:45), for they had come to terms with the death of the Savior. Mark (Mark 14:40) recorded that they did not realize how they had responded to Him.

The fact that Jesus, upon His return, encounters His disciples in slumber, chastises them initially, remains silent at a later point, and instructs them to rest on another occasion can be interpreted as follows: First, after His Resurrection, He admonished them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, as those who witnessed His rising still doubted (Mk. 16:14). Second, when the Holy Spirit was sent, He discovered them asleep, their vision clouded and unable to grasp the freedom offered by the gospel; they had been captivated by their attachment to the law, and their faith remained dormant. Finally, with His glorious return, He granted them peace and serenity.

Their eyelids were heavy, and they were unaware of what to say in response to Him. This was the state in which the Savior discovered His disciples upon returning to them after His time of prayer. Sleep had overtaken them so completely that they did not know how to respond, remaining oblivious to both the past and the present. St. Luke offers an insight into their plight, describing them as being asleep due to their grief. Their condition was partly a result of being burdened with sorrowful thoughts and emotions stirred within them while they listened to the Savior's discussions before, during, and after the Last Supper. It is nevertheless remarkable that they could fall into such profound sleep even after receiving a stern admonition from the Savior.

When He arrived, He discovered that they were once more asleep, their eyes heavy with weariness, unable to find words to respond to Him. He left them once more, fell to the ground again, and prayed fervently, sweating drops of blood.

Jesus, who once displayed immense bravery, now appeared to be weighed down by profound sorrow. Not long ago, He proclaimed, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified,’ and urged, ‘Take heart, I have conquered the world.’ Yet now, He prepared to beseech the Father that this cup might be removed from Him. What could have caused such turmoil in His spirit and led to such a swift alteration in His state? Surely it was not the anticipation of physical torment awaiting Him in death, since the demise of the righteous should not be more daunting than that of the wicked. It has been observed that a wrongdoer may seek retribution to calm their conscience. Even the average person withstands physical suffering without dread.

The prayer went unanswered once more. Exhausted by the weight of human desire, Jesus returned to the disciples, hoping to find solace in conversation with them. However, he discovered them in a deep slumber. This time they were in such a profound sleep that it took a while for them to stir; their eyes were heavy, clouded by fatigue, and they failed to immediately comprehend their surroundings or respond to Jesus as he roused them.

He retreated into the grove twice more to offer the same supplication, and on both occasions when He returned, He discovered His disciples in such profound slumber that they were unable to respond to His inquiries and admonitions.

Christ returned to His disciples and found them in slumber. He chose not to awaken them, knowing the following day would bring many distressing trials for them, allowing them a brief respite from their burdens if they could not join Him in prayer. Once more, He withdrew from them, falling to the ground, and undertaken a fervent prayer, shedding blood as He agonized. This act of supplication and deep yearning that our Lord experienced in Gethsemane left Him in such spiritual turmoil that His physical state mirrored that of a man wrestling with death. It was essential to uphold His weary human nature in anticipation of the sufferings ahead, and ultimately, a Heavenly Messenger appeared to provide Him with strength.

After concluding His second prayer, the Savior returned to the disciples and discovered them in a profound slumber. Their eyes were heavy, as noted by the sacred Evangelists, and they were at a loss for words in response to Him. The Lord refrained from waking them or issuing a reprimand, for, as St. John Chrysostom explains, He chose not to exacerbate the suffering of those already burdened by their own frailty.