The Garden, The Cup, The Cross

THE GARDEN THE CUP THE CROSS

by Steven F Spence

February 14, 2010

Love Him, Love Him

Love Him, love Him, all ye little children:

God is Love, God is Love;

Love Him, love Him, all ye little children:

God is Love.

THE FOUR LOVES: CS LEWIS

1. AFFECTION: STORGE

THE GREEK LEXICON DEFINES STORGE AS "AFFECTION, ESPECIALLY OF PARENTS TO OFFSPRING"

C. S. LEWIS SAYS...

THE IMAGE WE MUST START WITH IS THAT OF A MOTHER NURSING A BABY. C.S. LEWIS

2. FRIENDSHIP: PHILIA

C. S. LEWIS SAYS...

FRIENDSHIP IS ESSENTIALLY BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS; THE MOMENT TWO MEN ARE FRIENDS THEY HAVE IN SOME DEGREE DRAWN APART FROM THE HERD. C.S. LEWIS

THERE IS A KIND OF LASTING ALLIANCE BETWEEN TWO CLOSE FRIENDS.

DAVID AND JONATHAN HAD THIS KIND OF FRIENDSHIP.

3. ROMANTIC LOVE: EROS

C. S. LEWIS' COMMENT WAS...

BY EROS I MEAN OF COURSE THAT STATE WHICH WE CALL "BEING IN LOVE"; OR IF YOU PREFER, THAT KIND OF LOVE THAT LOVERS ARE "IN". C.S. LEWIS

CHARITY: AGAPE

C.S. LEWIS CALLED THIS LOVE CHARITY.

BUT IN TODAYS WORLD CHARITY HAS LOST THE IMPACT THAT C.S. LEWIS INTENDED IT TO HAVE.

WE THINK CHARITY IS GIVING A FEW DOLLARS TO A CHARITABLE INSTITUTION.

THIS KIND OF LOVE IS A GOD KIND OF LOVE.

THIS KIND OF LOVE IS A LOVE THAT LOVES EVEN IF IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE LOVEING.

AGAPE LOVE IS THE MOST POWERFUL KIND OF LOVE

THAT CAN BE FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE.

GOD HAS SHOWN US WHAT THIS KIND OF LOVE LOOKS LIKE WHEN JESUS WENT INTO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE JUST BEFORE HIS TRIAL AND CRUCIFIXION ON THE CROSS.

THE STORY IS FOUND IN MATTHEW 26:36-46

(BUT DON'T READ THE SCRIPTURE)

Matthew 26:36

Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV) 36 (NIV) Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." 43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

THE BELIEVERS BIBLE COMMENTARY SAYS...

NO ONE CAN APPROACH THE ACCOUNT OF THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

WITHOUT REALIZING THAT THEY'RE WALKING ON HOLY GROUND.

THERE'S A TREMENDOUS SENSE OF AWE AS YOU READ ABOUT IT

GUY KING WROTE,

“THE SUPERNAL CHARACTER OF THE EVENT

CAUSES ONE TO FEAR

LEST ONE (THEY) SHOULD IN ANY WAY SPOIL IT

BY TOUCHING IT.”

I'VE WRITTEN A STORY ABOUT THE GARDEN.

I PRAY THAT I'VE NOT HARMED THE SUPERNATURAL CHARACTER OF GETHSEMANE

BY WRITING ABOUT IT.

I. THE GARDEN

(THE OLIVE TREE IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, IS TALKING)

I AM AN OLIVE TREE.

I WAS PLANTED HERE IN THIS GARDEN MANY YEARS AGO.

IN FACT I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST SEEDLING TREES TO BE PLANTED IN THIS OLIVE GROVE.

WHEN I WAS JUST A YOUNG SAPLING OF A TREE,

I WATCHED THE WORKERS COME AND BUILD AN OLIVE PRESS OVER THERE ON THE EDGE

OF OUR NEWLY DEVELOPING GROVE OF OLIVE TREES.

THE OLIVE PRESS WAS TO BE USED TO SQUEEZE THE OLIVE OIL FROM THE OLIVES THAT WE TREES WOULD PRODUCE.

DURING THE HARVEST DAYS, THE HARVESTERS WOULD COME AND SHAKE OUR BRANCHES UNTIL OUR OLIVES WOULD FALL TO THE GROUND.

THEY WOULD GATHER THEM UP

AND POUR THEM INTO THE OLIVE PRESS OVER THERE

BY THE EDGE OF THE OLIVE GROVE.

THEY WOULD ATTACH THE UPPER PART OF THE PRESS

AND BRING IT DOWN ONTO THE OLIVES.

THE PROCESS WOULD CRUSH THE OLIVES.

AND THE RESULT WAS THAT PURE OLIVE OIL