Lest I forget Gethsemane
(Part 2)

Second part Since that is the question before us, the next word to reflect on is the word nevertheless. "Take this cup away from me," says Jesus, "nevertheless, not my will but yours." You know, this is a great biblical word " nevertheless.

One of the famous passages of St. Paul says: "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ who lives in me." In John, Jesus says, "He who believes in me, though he die, nevertheless shall he live." But the greatest nevertheless is in the words of Jesus in Gethsemane, for this was the greatest word of commitment for all time. For this nevertheless settled once and for all the destiny of mankind. Do you realize that our human destiny hung in the balance in that garden: Lest we forget Gethsemane. This was the moment of truth for Jesus; this was history's most poignant "to be or not to be" You see it was because Jesus said "nevertheless" that the event on Golgotha came to be. For Jesus said, "Not my will be done but yours."

Harry Emerson Fosdick calls Gethsemane the facing of life's most central test. For what kind of faith do we have? He asks. Is this a Palm Sunday faith when we hear the words of joy and admiration, Hallelujah, Hosanna? Almost everyone can believe in God on Palm Sunday.

But what happens when we find ourselves in the Garden of Agony? Are we prepared to say nevertheless?

Fosdick puts it so forcefully. You see, there are two kinds of faith "if and though. "If God will bless me, I will follow Him." "If he prolongs my life, I will serve Him." "If He will prosper me in my present aspiration for a high office, I will be a devoted Christian." "If my business yields me profits in abundance, I will be a loyal follower." "If I pass this board exam, I shall serve him in my profession." But what about though? "Though I walk in the valley of death, I will fear no evil." "Though He slay me, nevertheless, I will trust Him." "Though I fail in this program, I will continue to belong to Him." "Though others lose my trust, I shall ever be steadfast in my Christian idealism."

My friends, if in the worst that occurs to us, despite our earnest petitions of "let this cup pass from me," we can say nevertheless, the road ahead opens up for us wide vistas of possibilities and hope. We become instruments of God's mighty purpose. We can be above anything that can happen to us. (To be continued)*

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