Vulnerability in LeadershipSample

Jesus in Gethsemane

In the Garden of Gethsemane, we recognize Jesus' experience of vulnerability. The night before He was crucified, Jesus evidenced His pain as a man in a unique way. In Gethsemane, the experiences of anguish, suffering, and death intertwine. In Mark's account, we read: “He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.” (Mark 14:33 NIV). The meaning of fear (distressed), to E. Falque, is the gesture of retreating before something comes upon us unexpectedly. While anguish (troubled) indicates the state of restlessness and inner torment of the person who is frightened. Jesus in Gethsemane is concretely afraid. It is not a fantasy, it is a human reality. Knowing that Jesus experienced fear brings a human perspective of the Son of God. Sometimes people believe that Jesus is only God, and that is wrong. Jesus is also man (with the exception of sin), and as a man, He faced real fear. That Jesus, who seemed to be submerged in anguish, becomes very familiar and close to us in any sensation of anguish and fear that we may experience in any circumstance. Faced with the vulnerability of fear and anguish, Jesus returns and seeks company in His sleeping disciples (Mark 14:37-41). It showed us the reality of vulnerability and that in the face of it, it is worth seeking support in prayer and finding good company so as not to struggle alone. Also, how good it is for us to see Jesus openly expressing His emotions when He was feeling the weight of humanity's sin in Gethsemane, and also showing us how He overcame fear by being strengthened by God the Father.

To reflect: The example of Jesus in Gethsemane made it easier for us to identify with Him from our vulnerability and understand the strength that comes from God the Father in times of difficulty.