The Oil Press

I don’t write “churchy” stuff all that often. Today, I will do exactly that. I know some of you are not the religious type. I hope you’ll read anyway. Not because I think my rambling will cause you to change your mind about Christ, but because I hope it will change your mind about Christians. We’re not all mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, Right-winged nut jobs. Some of us are rational, open-minded, left-leaning nut jobs. I typed intelligent at first, but decided to delete it. I’m not sure I fall into that category. I may not be all that smart, but I’m smart enough to listen to others and respect their opinions. Even the right-wing nut jobs…well, most of them.

OK, now to my actual purpose.

I love the story of the Garden of Gethsemane. (The literal translation of Gethsemane is "Oil Press.") It has long been my favorite Bible story. If you’re not familiar, here’s a quick recap: On the night Jesus was arrested, he and his disciples went to Gethsemane to pray. He left them and went off to pray alone. Once alone, he was ‘deeply grieved.’ He prayed, “Remove this cup from me; but not what I want but you want.” (Mark 14:36) Jesus prayed this prayer 3 times. Each time concluding, “not what I want, but what you want.” Following his prayers, the Temple Guards arrested Jesus. He was crucified the next day.

My love for this story traces back to my college years. I don’t remember the date, but I remember the circumstances. I was travelling back to Auburn after a weekend trip home. Jesus Christ Superstar – A Rock Opera blared from my car speakers. Somewhere along I-65 between Birmingham and Montgomery the song Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say) began. As I loudly sang along I, for possibly the first time, heard the words.

The song is full of Jesus’ agony and grief. It starts out soft and prayerful as Jesus pleads,

If there is a way

Take this cup away from me

For I don’t want to drink its poison.

It builds to a thundering crescendo as Jesus fear and distress show flashes of anger. He demands to know,

Why should I die?

Would I be more noticed than I ever was before?

Would the things I’ve said and done matter any more?

Finally, Jesus has accepted his fate.

God thy will is hard

But you hold every card.

I will drink your cup of poison.

Reluctantly, he submits himself to God’s will.

Take me now.

Before I change my mind.

The song ended and I immediately hit the “previous track” button on my CD player. As the song started again I reached over and opened my glove compartment. I pulled out the Bible I kept stored there. The song had sparked something in me. Questions began to pop in my mind as if there were a Presidential press conference and my brain was the White House Press Room.

“Is this accurate?” “Did Jesus really not want to die?” “Was he really scared?” “I wonder if he could sing like that?” “Did Jesus not know what was coming?”

So I drove about 85 mph along Interstate 65 while reading Luke’s Gospel. As I read and listened to the song again, I realized that while he did take a few liberties, Tim Rice pretty much got it right. The desperation, the agony, the emotion of the song echoes the tone of the passage. The passage reflects the basic thoughts expressed in the lyrics.

I was struck by the humanity of Jesus in both the story and the song. I read each Gospel’s account of the events of Gethsemane. All except John’s Gospel tell the same story of torment.

Over the next several years my fondness for the story grew. As the years passed the more I identified with Jesus’ emotions. As I moved from single to married, from young adult to parent, from college student to employed, and especially as I began working in youth ministry and eventually feeling the call to full time youth ministry I felt the same apprehension at following God’s will.

In the months leading up to and the years following my decision to go into full time youth ministry Gethsemane became my favorite Bible story. As the years passed I identified more and more with Jesus’ reluctance in following God’s will. I found strength in his willingness to follow despite that reluctance. “Not my will, but yours.” I also discovered an odd reassurance in the fact that God did not answer Jesus’ prayer the way in the way he wanted. He asked for deliverance but did not receive it.

This has remained my favorite Bible story for years. The reasons I mentioned above still hold true for me today. Some more than others. I also find it reassuring that Jesus has felt fear and uncertainty. He knows what it is like to be afraid of what the future holds.

Through these years I appreciated the anguish Jesus experienced. I saw it as his fear of what was to come. Fear of torture. Fear of death. Fear of pain and suffering. Last week I stumbled on another interpretation. I’m not sure it’s better, just different. It gave the story new meaning for me. Made it fresh again.

I am leading a study of Rob Bell’s book Sex God on Wednesday nights. Last week we discussed a chapter entitled “She Ran Into the Girls’ Restroom.” In this chapter Bell compares God’s offer of salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection to a junior high boy asking a girl to dance. I know it sounds odd, but he makes a compelling argument.

“The cross…is God making the first move and then waiting for our response.”

The One section of the chapter discusses God’s heartbreak. Bell writes about the universality of heartbreak. Most all of us have offered our hearts to someone only to have the offer rejected. Our heart broken. God experiences the same. Bell asserts that each person who rejects his offer of salvation breaks his heart.

God as heartbroken is not a common concept. We tend to think of God as an overseer. Waiting on us to break his rules. Judging. Powerful.

Genesis 6:6 talks about the heartbreak God experiences. At this point most of humanity had turned their backs on God. “Then the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on earth, and it grieved him in his heart.” Other translations say that it “pained his heart.” In other words, God’s heart was broken.

This brings me to my new take on Gethsemane. Jesus was “grieved to the point of death.” What grieved him so? Was it his eminent torture and death? Was it the uncertainty of following God’s will? Or was it the heartbreak of humanity’s rejection?

Maybe the agony Jesus faced was grief. Grief over the sin he would face on the cross. Grief for humanity and their brokenness. Grief from a broken heart. Jesus asked God “to remove the cup” because the heartache was too much for any human to bear.

Either way (whether fear or heartbreak) we know from Jesus’ actions in Gethsemane that he relates to us in a profound way. Our Lord has felt our grief. He has felt our fear. He has felt our heartbreak. Rob Bell calls our heartbreaks “glimpses into the life of God.” I think it’s an appropriate analogy.

Gethsemane gives us more insight into the love our God has for us. He loved us enough to endure the pain; to endure the torture; to endure death; to endure heartbreak. Unlike us God does not withdraw his offer when we reject him. He’s willing to have his heart broken again and again. As many times as it takes. He’s willing to ask over and over until we are ready to dance.