Gospel of Mark, chapter 14:38

Few days go by without our coming face to face with an uninvited, unanticipated, yet unavoidable decision. Like a crashing snow bank, these decisions tumble upon us without warning. They disorientate and bewilder. Quick. Immediate. Sudden. No council, no study, no advice. Pow! All of a sudden you are hurled into the air of uncertainty and only instinct will determine if you will land on your feet.

Want a good example? Look at the three apostles in the garden. Sound asleep. Weary from a full meal and a full week, their eyelids too heavy, they are awakened by Jesus only to tumble back into dreamland. Finally, for the last time, they were awakened, and it was to clanging swords, bright torches, and loud voices.
“There he is”
Let’s get him!”
A shout. Shuffling of feet. A slight skirmish. All of sudden it is decision time. No time to huddle. No time to pray. No time to meditate or consult friends. Decision.

Peter makes his. Out comes the sword. Off goes the ear. Jesus rebukes him. Now what?

Mark, who apparently was a young eyewitness, wrote these words, “Then everyone deserted Him and fled.”

That’s a nice way of saying they ran like scared mice. All of them? All of them. Even Peter? Yes, even Peter. James? Yes, John? His beloved one? Yes, John ran away too. They all did. The decision came upon them like a Halloween ghost and they ran fast. The only thing that was moving faster than their feet was their pulse rate. All those words of loyalty and commitment were left behind in a cloud of dust.

But before we get too hard on these quick-footed followers, let’s look at ourselves.

For a teenager it could be the joint being passed around the circle. For the business man it could be an offer to make a little cash “under the table.” For the wife it could be a chance for her “two bits” of juicy gossip.

Now, it doesn’t have to be like that. Jesus didn’t panic. He, too, heard the swords and saw the clubs, but he didn’t lose his head. And it was his head that the Romans wanted!

All Jesus is saying is, “keep watch, and pray that you will not fall into temptation.” You know your weaknesses. You also know the situations in which your weaknesses are most vulnerable. Stay out of those situations. Back seats. Late hours. Poker games. Adult movies. Whatever it is that gives Satan a foothold in your life, stay away from it, lest you fall into temptation.

Max Lucado