Lifelines:

It is hard to imagine a more serene setting than a garden. It conjures up images of blooming plants and all that is beautiful in the creation of God. It all began in just such a location. Eden equates to paradise in our minds. Indeed, all was exactly as the Lord intended until the encounter with the serpent. Temptation is in that garden, too.

Dangling a piece of tempting fruit proved to be the devil’s most powerful weapon and the first lady’s downfall. People have been falling down ever since. Expulsion from that ideal locale was the obvious penalty for their rebellion, but the fruits of that deadly seed were more dramatic than that. Remember the warning. Death was immediate if not apparent.

Jesus made His way into a garden of His own (Mark 14:32-42). Peter, James and John were along, but the pressure was on the Lord. Distressed, troubled, nearly grieved to death; He went to pray. He would be dead soon, executed for our crimes, but first He would appeal to His Father. Luke tells us that Jesus was in such unspeakable agony that it even affected His metabolism (22:44). So much for the peace and tranquility of the garden. It was disrupted by His impending ordeal.

As for His disciples, His closest companions, they slept. If He looked to them for comfort and support, He was surely disappointed. Of course, He knew. He was fully aware of their shortcomings, and this came as no surprise to Him. We could not possibly comprehend what He went through. Friends dozing. A cross waiting. Enemies coming. The hour had come. The end was near. Judas led the mob. Jesus stood to be betrayed by a kiss from an supposed friend. Welcome to His garden.

We frequently find ourselves in a garden of our own. It may not have flowers and trees, but it is teeming with temptation. A twenty-first century serpent dangles a modern day piece of fruit in front of our face, and it is decision time. A difficult mission that we would really rather avoid faces us, another tough choice. We make our way through those challenging days with one simple question: Whose will shall we do? In our garden is where we decide.