Snapshots - Jesus through the Lens of History

A Night in the Garden

A few years ago a gray cat walking behind a Buddhist monk filled one of my dreams – a ‘temple’ cat. The next day a sweet gray kitten adopted me at Petsmart. When I looked up gray cats (known as blues) on Google I learned they originally came to Europe with the Templar knights during the Crusades. Hmmmm…. ‘templar cats?’  Here was a neat example of having a mini-vision during a night’s sleep. If this kind of knowing is pretty common for us mere mortals, how more so must be the knowing for someone truly masterful. 

       Let’s once more travel back, this time to the Mount of Olives and quietly follow the sad, troubled figure of Jesus. He has just left the Passover meal and has asked a few of the apostles that he loves most fondly to come with him. He has seen his future, as a master would. Yet, his insight into what will happen to him is not that surprising. Until recently he has pointedly stayed away from major cities and the authorities, and answered questions carefully and diplomatically. However, both the Jewish and Roman authorities keep careful watch, and though he is not the only ‘troublemaker’ they are worried about, he is certainly on the list of the ‘most wanted’. He remembers that his cousin John, just two years before had been arrested and then killed, and many of Jesus’ followers were John’s. Jesus knew what was coming.

       Consider if you knew you had only days, or only hours to live, and your ending would be not only excruciatingly painful but humiliating as well.  In this state of mind, we watch Jesus trudge down into the Garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives. We see him implore his beloved apostles to pray with him to help give him strength. As the night goes on they fall asleep and Jesus struggles, and prays and struggles, all alone.

       But wait, we hear the stomping of feet. And into the garden come the hobnailed footed ‘cops’. They have their assigned task and they do it. Jesus’ fate is now sealed.