Knowledge of Scripture, without knowledge of self?

“And when he was at the place he said to them, Pray that you enter not into temptation...And he comes to the disciples and finds them sleeping, and says to Peter, Thus you have not been able to watch one hour with me? Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation...” (Luke 22:40, Matt 26:40-41)

In Gethsemane the Lord Jesus twice urged His disciples to watch and to pray - and each time He Himself set a good example for them. He knew how important prayer is to resist temptation (see Luke 11:2-4). Did He not feel the need to pour out His own heart in prayer before His Father, in the face of the temptation that was coming? How perfectly what He told others corresponded with what He did Himself as a dependent Man (see John 8:25)!

He withdrew from the others and entered into the presence of God. He spent an hour there in earnest prayer. Then He came back to check on His disciples, but instead of praying and staying awake, they slept. He longed for vigilant comforters - but He found none. Even Peter, who had just before claimed in over-confidence that he was prepared even to die with his Master, did not actually manage to watch with Him for one hour.

Again He withdrew for prayer. The idea of soon falling into the hands of the living God, laden with the sin of others, grieved His holy soul until His death. It seems that the Servant of God wrestled in prayer three times that evening, each time for one hour. What an example! His disciples, on the other hand, were asleep each time He came to them. Just a few hours before, He had announced to them that Satan was desiring to sift them all like wheat - and that they would all abandon Him (see Luke 22:31; John 16:32). How much this message alone should have driven them to prayer! But their self-confidence (see Matt 26:35) and lack of prayer caused them all to fail! When a short time later the temptation came, "all left him and fled" (Mark 14:50).

William Kelly writes compellingly, "There is nothing that so tends, where it is severed from Christ, to destroy dependence, as a large knowledge of the word of God. And that is where our danger lies. The greater our knowledge of the word of God, where it is separated from the sense of utter weakness, and consequently from the need of watching and praying, the greater the danger. This is a solemn warning for our souls. There is no doubt plenty of knowledge of Scripture, and of what is called intelligence of truth; but do our souls keep up this sense of our need and weakness, and the expression of it to God? "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."

The awareness of our own weakness - if it is real - will lead us to watch and pray. But if we only talk about our weak state without at the same time practically realizing our dependence, then this is basically nothing but pious hypocrisy. Prayer is the best medicine against spiritual weakness. Only repentance and a sincere confession will help against lukewarmness and indifference!

What are you doing to ensure that your knowledge of Scripture is and remains paired with a real awareness of your weakness and an active dependency? When was the last time you watched "one hour" in prayer and actively practise your dependence in this way? Pray that God will help you to become more like your Example in this respect!

J.P.S.