Just one hour

“Could you not watch with Me one hour?” – Matthew 26:40

Many people say that what truly matters is the fasting of the heart, not the fasting from food. There is truth in this – but it is only part of the picture

Yes, we are first called to turn inward, to examine the state of our hearts, and to bring our intentions into alignment with God. Yet we cannot overlook the role of the body in this journey. The body is not separate from the soul; it moves with it, resists with it and at times even hinders it.

And so, fasting is not merely an outward act, nor solely an inward one – it is a meeting place for both.

In the Gospel of Matthew, there is a poignant moment in the Garden of Gethsemane where Christ stands there in anguish, accompanied by three of His closest disciples – Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. As He prepares to face what lies ahead, He asks of one simple request :

 “ My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me”

 – Matthew 26:38

Yet when He returns, He finds them asleep.

In that moment, Christ does not soften the weight of what has happened. He does not say “ it’s the thought that counts” nor does He excuse their weakness because they had already left so much behind to follow Him. Instead, He meets them with a question – one that still echoes beyond that garden:

“What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?” – Matthew 26:40

That question does not remain in the garden. It reaches beyond that moment, echoing into our own lives – especially as we are journeying through the Great Lent.

“Could you not pray with Me for just five minutes?”

“Could you not set aside your phone for even ten minutes?”

“Could you not let go of meat, or cheese, or eggs – for a week.. or even a month?”

In these small invitations, we begin to see that what is being asked of us is not beyond reach. And yet, how often do we find ourselves responding just as the disciples did – willing in heart, but overcome in body.

Christ’s question reveals something deeper within us – that it is not enough to rely on good intentions or even a compassionate heart in our spiritual lives. He desires more than hat we feel; He longs for our response.

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” – Matthew 26:41

This dynamic is often cleverly manipulated by the devil. Rather than overtly persuading us to abandon fasting or to cease following Christ altogether, the enemy subtly encourages us to procrastinate.

“Surrender tomorrow” He whispers.

“Pray tomorrow.”

“It’s too difficult to fully fast right now; remember, what’s important is the intention in your heart.”

By twisting the truth and instigating a delay in our commitment, he employs a smart and sneaky tactic that many fall for – myself included!

In this, Christ gently names the tension we carry within us: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He does not deny our desire to draw near Him. He sees it. He honors it and yet, He also reveals the resistance within us – the part that grows tired, that hesitates, that turns away when the cost feels too great.

This is the space we live in : between longing and limitation, intention and action.

And it is here that we begin to understand that the journey toward God asks something of both. Not only a willing heart, but a disciplined body. Not only inward desire, but outward response. To take up our cross and follow Him is to live this union – to allow what we believe within to be carried out through how we live. For it is in the coming together of the two that we are drawn into a deeper communion with Him.

So we are left to ask ourselves, as we enter Good Friday:Am I willing to give Him just one hour?