Pseudo-Jerome: In the valley of fatness also, the fat bulls beset Him. There follows, "And He saith to His disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray;" they are separated from Him in prayer, who are separated in His Passion; for He prays, they sleep, overcome by the sloth of their heart.
Theophylact: It was also His custom always to pray by Himself, in order to give us an example, to seek for silence and solitude in our prayers. There follows: "And He taketh with Him Peter, and James and John." He takes only those who had been witnesses of His glory on Mount Tabor, that they who had seen His glory might also see His sufferings, and learn that He is really man, in that He is sorrowful.
Wherefore there follows: "And began to be sore amazed, and very heavy." For since He had taken on Himself the whole of human nature, He took also those natural things which belong to man, amazement, heaviness, and sorrow; for men are naturally unwilling to die.
Wherefore it goes on: "And He saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death."
Bede: As being God, dwelling in the body, He shews the frailty of flesh, that the blasphemy of those who deny the Mystery of His Incarnation might find no place; for having taken up a body, He must needs also take up all that belongs to the body, hunger, thirst, pain, grief; for the Godhead cannot suffer the changes of those affections.
Theophylact: but some have understood this, as if He had said, I am sorrowful, not because I am to die, but because the Jews, My countrymen, are about to crucify Me, and by these means to be shut out from the kingdom of God.
Pseudo-Jerome: By this also we are taught to fear and to be sorrowful before the judgment of death, for not by ourselves, but by Him only, can we say, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me." [[Joh 14:30]] There follows: "Tarry ye, here, and watch."
Bede: He does not mean natural sleep by the sleep which He forbids, for the time of approaching danger did not allow of it, but the sleep of unfaithfulness, and the torpor of the mind. But going forward a little, He falls on His face, and shews His lowliness of mind, by the posture of His body.
Wherefore there follows: "And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him."
Augustine, de Con. iii, iv: He said not, if He could do it, but if it could be done; for whatever He wills is possible. We must therefore understand, "if it be possible," as if it were; if He is willing. And lest any one should suppose that He lessened His Father’s power, He shews in what sense the words are to be understood; for there follows, "And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee."
By which He sufficiently shows that the words, "if it be possible," must be understood not of any impossibility, but of the Will of His Father. As to what Mark relates that He said not only Father, but "Abba, Father", Abba is the Hebrew for Father. And perhaps the Lord said both words, on account of some Sacrament contained in them; wishing to shew that He had taken upon Himself that sorrow in the person of His body, The Church, to which He was made the chief cornerstone, and which came to Him, partly from the Hebrews, who are represented by the word, "Abba", partly from the Gentiles, to whom "Father" belongs.
Bede: But He prays, that the cup may pass away, to shew that He is very man, wherefore He adds: "Take away this cup from Me." But remembering why He was sent, He accomplishes the dispensation for which He was sent, and cries out, "But not what I Will, but what Thou Wilt." As if He had said, If death can die, without My dying according to the flesh, let this cup pass away; but since this cannot be otherwise, "not what I Will, but what Thou Wilt."
Many still are sad at the prospect of death, but let them keep their heart right, and avoid death as much as they can; but if they cannot, then let them say what the Lord said of us.
Pseudo-Jerome: By which also He ceases not up to the end to teach us to obey our fathers, and to prefer their will to ours. There follows: "And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping." For as they are asleep in mind, so also in body.
Theophylact: But after His prayer, the Lord coming, and seeing His disciples sleeping, rebukes Peter alone. Wherefore it goes on: "And saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch with me one hour?
As if He had said, If thou couldest not watch one hour with me, how wilt thou be able to despise death, thou who promisest to die with Me?
It goes on: "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation," that is, the temptation of denying Me.
Bede: He does not say, Pray that ye may not be tempted, because it is impossible for the human mind not to be tempted, but that ye enter not into temptation, that is, that temptation may not vanquish you.
Pseudo-Jerome: But he is said to enter into temptation, who neglects to pray.
There follows: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Theophylact: As if He had said, Your spirit indeed is ready not to deny me, and for this reason ye promise; but your flesh is weak, in that unless God give power to your flesh through prayer, ye shall enter into temptation.
Bede: He here represses the rash, who think that they can compass whatever they are confident about. But in proportion as we are confident from the ardour of our mind, so let us fear from the weakness of our flesh.
For this place makes against those, who say that there was but one operation in the Lord and one Will. For He shews two wills, one human, which from the weakness of the flesh shrinks from suffering; one divine, which is most ready.
It goes on: "And again He went away and prayed, and spake the same words."
Theophylact: That by His second prayer He might shew Himself to be very man. It goes on: "And when He returned, He found them asleep again;" He however did not rebuke them severely. "For their eyes were heavy, (that is, with sleep,) neither wist they what to answers Him." By this learn the weakness of men, and let us not, whom even sleep can overcome, promise things which are impossible to us. Therefore He goes away the third time to pray the prayer mentioned above.
Wherefore it goes on: "And He cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest." He is not vehement against them, though after His rebuke they had done worse, but He tells them ironically, "Sleep on now, and take your rest," because He knew that the betrayer was now close at hand. And that He spoke ironically is evident, by what is added; "It is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." He speaks this, as deriding their sleep, as if He had said; Now indeed is a time for sleep, when the traitor is approaching.
Then He says; "Arise, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth Me is at hand."
Augustine: Or else; In that it is said, that after He had spoken these words, "Sleep on now, and take your rest," He added, "It is enough," and then, "the hour is come; behold, the Son of Man is betrayed," we must understand that after saying, "Sleep on now, and take your rest," our Lord remained silent for a short time, to give space for that to happen, which He had permitted; and then that He added, "the hour is come;" and therefore He puts in between, "it is enough," that is, your rest has been long enough.
Pseudo-Jerome: The threefold sleep of the disciples points out the three dead, whom our Lord raised up; the first, in a house; the second, at the tomb; the third, from the tomb. And the threefold watch of the Lord teaches us in our prayers, to beg for the pardon of past, future and present sins.
Ver. 43. And immediately, while He yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the elders.44. And he that betrayed Him had given them a token, saying, "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely."45. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to Him, and saith, "Master, master;" and kissed Him.46. And they laid their hands on Him, and took Him.47. And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the High Priest, and cut off his ear.48. And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?"49. "I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took Me not: but the Scriptures must be fulfilled."50. And they all forsook Him, and fled.51. And there followed Him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:52. And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
Bede: After that our Lord had prayed three times, and had obtained by His prayers that the fear of the Apostles should be amended by future repentance, He, being tranquil as to His Passion, goes to His persecutors, concerning the coming of whom the Evangelist says, "And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas Iscariot, on of the twelve."
Theophylact: This is not put without reason, but to the greater conviction of the traitor, since though he was of the chief company amongst the disciples, he turned himself to furious enmity against our Lord.
There follows: "And with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the elders."
Pseudo-Jerome: For he who despairs of help from God, has recourse to the power of the world.
Bede: But Judas had still something of the shame of a disciple, for he did not openly betray Him to His persecutors, but by the token of a kiss.
Wherefore it goes on: "And he that betrayed Him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely."
Theophylact: See how in his blindness he thought to deceive Christ by the kiss, so as to be looked upon by Him as His friend. But if thou wert a friend, Judas, how didst thou come with His enemies? But wickedness is ever without foresight.
It goes on: "And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to Him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed Him."
Pseudo-Jerome: Judas gives the kiss as a token, with poisonous guile, just as Cain offered a crafty, reprobate sacrifice.
Bede: With envy and with a wicked confidence, he calls Him master, and gives Him a kiss, in betraying Him. But the Lord receives the kiss of the traitor, not to teach us to deceive, but lest he should seem to avoid betrayal, and at the same time to fulfil that Psalm, "Among them that are enemies unto peace, I labour for peace." [[Psa 120:5]]
It goes on: "And they laid hands on Him, and took Him."
Pseudo-Jerome: This is the Joseph who was sold by his brethren [[Psa 105:18]], and into whose soul the iron entered. [Source note: note: this passage not found in the Venice ed. of the Pseudo-Jerome]
There follows: "And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the High Priest, and cut off his ear."
Bede: Peter did this, as John declares, with the same ardent mind with which he did all things; for he knew how Phineas had by punishing sacrilegious persons received the reward of righteousness and of perpetual priesthood.
Theophylact: Mark conceals his name, lest he should seem to be praising his master for his zeal for Christ. Again, the action of Peter points out that they were disobedient and unbelieving, despising the Scriptures; for if they had ears to hear the Scriptures, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But he cut off the ear of a servant of the High Priest, for the Chief Priests especially passed over the Scriptures, like disobedient servants.