Two Different Nights with Jesus

Night one to ponder...
Luke 8:22-25 (NIV)

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

I love this picture.
It is one of my favorites images of the God-man, Messiah, Jesus.
He is so tired from ministering that he falls asleep on the boat.
Perhaps the ocean waves rocked Jesus (the Creator with skin on) to sleep.
Amazing.
I often put myself in Jesus' arms in the boat.
There are terrors all around.
Wind, waves, the boat is literally filling with water fast...
No worries; I am good.
I am safe and snuggled in my Lord's arms and if He says we are going to the other side of the lake, then nothing, not even a wind storm is going to change that.
We must remember Jesus is fully God and fully man.
Today God showed me the importance of calling out to Jesus' at night.
This is night one...
It is scary from a natural standpoint.
It is dangerous- no doubt.
Jesus can sleep...in this setting.
He is calm, settled, and assure of Himself. He and the disciples WILL get to the other side.
.....In contrast to night 2.

Night 2 to ponder...

Matthew 26:36-46 (NKJV) Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
On night two, things are ASTONISHINGLY different.

A prayer in a garden at night.

From a natural stand point this setting is quite peaceful.
The moonlight calms you, the stars are twinkling...
In Jesus' day there were no airplanes flying by, paramedic trucks racing down the highway or even the sound of a text notification.
There is nothing...
I imagine it very peaceful and tranquil.
Plus, Jesus is in the Garden. He might be surrounded by the scent of night blooming jasmine, and perhaps the fragrance of spring is all around.
In one sense, it might be the perfect environment for prayer and quiet reflection (the Scriptures tell us He departed here often to pray)
But this night was different....VERY different.
Jesus is deeply sorrowful...
He prays and begs God to let this cup pass from Him...nevertheless He models total submission to us by crying out "Not my will but Yours Abba be done!"
Jesus knew this was the very reason He came.
Here are important contrasts I noticed that refresh my soul.
The night with the windstorm....Jesus sleeps peacefully....
The cloudless calm night in the garden...Jesus stays up all night praying.
The difference is surrender.
In the first night, Jesus knew His mission and was not afraid of natural waves and wind or even the fear of drowning.
In the second night, Jesus is afraid. He is not afraid of the Cross. He knows exactly what will happen that night and the next and the next. He is afraid of the break in intimacy with His Father. He will be covered in our Sin (as Scriptures says "God made Him who knew no sin to BE sin for us)
We are so UNLIKE Jesus which is why we need to learn from Him, drink in the Scriptures and daily ask for the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and heighten our awareness.

When there are "physical" things that scare us, we freak out and panic.
When there is spiritual things that SHOULD scare us, we yawn, chill and choose sleep over prayer.

Oh LORD help us have hearts that are like yours.

When the night is scary, I want to be able to rest like you did, safe in God's plan and purpose.
When the night "appears" serene and tranquil, I want to stay up all night in prayer, and deny my temptation to complacency or lethargy. I want to deny sleep and rather seek Your face.

Days that might seem or appear easy, can spiritually be hard.
Nights that might seem hard, can be spiritually easy...

The point is we need to do as Jesus asks. We don't need to yell "Wake Up Jesus! Don't you care we are perishing?" Of course He cares!
We should instead listen when He tells us "Wake up! Don't you see your friends and family members are perishing. Stay up and pray and listen to what I desire to tell you"
Jesus loved us so much He willingly went to the manger, then the prayer garden to pray all night....then He was willing to walk up to Calvary and stretch out His hands for us.
He is God and He is Rabbi our teacher.

Let us learn from Him when to pray all night, and when to rest in the shaking boat.