Spurgeon: March AM
* 03/24/AM
"He was heard in that he feared."
--Hebrews 5:7
Did this fear arise from the infernal suggestion that He was
utterly forsaken . There may be sterner trials than this, but
surely it is one of the worst to be utterly forsaken? "See,"
said Satan, "thou hast a friend nowhere! Thy Father hath shut up
the bowels of His compassion against thee. Not an angel in His
courts will stretch out his hand to help thee. All heaven is
alienated from Thee; Thou art left alone. See the companions
with whom Thou hast taken sweet counsel, what are they worth?
Son of Mary, see there Thy brother James, see there Thy loved
disciple John, and Thy bold apostle Peter, how the cowards sleep
when Thou art in Thy sufferings! Lo! Thou hast no friend left in
heaven or earth. All hell is against Thee. I have stirred up
mine infernal den. I have sent my missives throughout all
regions summoning every prince of darkness to set upon Thee this
night, and we will spare no arrows, we will use all our infernal
might to overwhelm Thee: and what wilt Thou do, Thou solitary
one?" It may be, this was the temptation; we think it was,
because the appearance of an angel unto Him strengthening Him
removed that fear. He was heard in that He feared; He was no
more alone, but heaven was with Him. It may be that this is the
reason of His coming three times to His disciples--as Hart puts
it--
"Backwards and forwards thrice He ran,
As if He sought some help from man."
He would see for Himself whether it were really true that all
men had forsaken Him; He found them all asleep; but perhaps He
gained some faint comfort from the thought that they were
sleeping, not from treachery, but from sorrow, the spirit indeed
was willing, but the flesh was weak. At any rate, He was heard
in that He feared. Jesus was heard in His deepest woe; my soul,
thou shalt be heard also.