On the most critical evening of Jesus' ministry, His disciples let Him down.  It was not so much that they failed to provide moral or spiritual support to their mentor, but that after three years they had still not understood that prayer was essential.  That night, they had heard Jesus' specific instruction to watch and pray (Mark 14:32-42), but they did not think it mattered to obey and pray.  They were like the disappointing students who attended all the lectures and the practical classes but failed the examination because they did not think the subject was important.
 
All through His ministry, Jesus taught the trainee apostles how to take part in the spiritual battle against Satan and his kingdom of darkness (Matthew 6:9-13).  The Lord had shown them by His own example that close communication with Father God was essential: that was why He often got up early to pray (Mark 1:35).  In this final lesson, as the spiritual conflict intensified, Jesus was teaching them that the threat of suffering and death would bring the temptation to give up. They needed strength from God to persevere with hope; and for that, prayer was essential (Ephesians 6:18).  However, having failed to pray, sorrow overcame them, and in their despair, they fell asleep.

Jesus rebuked them, challenging them to present some logical explanation for their weak-minded behaviour.  There was no reply.  Then the second challenge, ‘do what I have already told you, pray!’  Like for Cain, temptation was crouching at their door (Genesis 4:6-7).  But, like Cain, they were too proud to admit their weakness and their need to cast their burden onto God (Psalm 55:22).  Instead of supporting Jesus they all ran away (Mark 14:50); instead of honouring Jesus, Peter denied Him (Mark 14:66-72).  
 
In the years to come the apostles and the church would have many close encounters with death, but they had learned to pray (Acts 12:1-5).  The apostolic story was one of facing opposition, anger, hatred, imprisonment, stoning, (2 Corinthians 11:23-28) and even facing wild animals in the arena of gladiators (1 Corinthians 15:32).  If they halted in their gospel mission because of the threats, there would have been no missionary outreach, no church and no salvation for a lost world. Jesus' concern for the disciples was not that He would run away from His cross without their prayers, but that they might run away from theirs!  Yet their catastrophic failure was obviously etched into their hearts - and years later they were willing to tell Luke how much they had disappointed Jesus. His rebuke was well earned, spurring them to take notice and start watching and praying.  How about you?