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162
“COMEBEMYFOLLOWER”
the ways he showed his love, for by imitating him in this
regard, we prove ourselves his genuine disciples.
Showing Patience
4 Love and patience go together. “Love is long-suffering,”
observes 1 Corinthians 13:4, and long-suffering involves
patiently putting up with others. Did Jesus need patience
in dealing with his disciples? Indeed, he did! As we saw
in Chapter 3, the apostles were slow to cultivate humility.
More than once, they got into arguments about who
was the greatest among them. How did Jesus react? Did he
get angry and respond with irritation or resentment? No,
he patiently reasoned with them, even when “a heated dispute”
over this issue arose on his last evening with them!
—Luke 22:24-30; Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 9:33-37.
5 Later on that final night, when Jesus went to the garden
of Gethsemane with the 11 faithful apostles, his patience
was tested yet again. Leaving eight of the apostles,
Jesus took Peter, James, and John deeper into the garden.
“My soul is deeply grieved, even to death,” Jesus told them.
“Stay here and keep on the watch.” He went a short distance
away and began praying fervently. After praying at
length, he returned to the three apostles. What did he find?
In this, his hour of greatest trial, they were fast asleep! Did
he berate them for their lack of vigilance? No, he patiently
exhorted them. His kind words showed an understanding
of the stress they had been under and of their weaknesses.
“The spirit, of course, is eager,” he said, “but the flesh is
The apostles’ sleepiness was induced by more than physical tiredness.
The parallel account at Luke 22:45 says that Jesus “found them
slumbering from grief.”
4, 5. (a) Why did Jesus need patience in dealing with his disciples?
(b) How did Jesus respond when three of his apostles showed a lack
of vigilance in the garden of Gethsemane?