“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me,

yet not my will but yours be done.”–Luke 22:40 

In June, I had lunch with a dear friend who has come through a major health crisis.  A dynamic leader, he began having unexplained symptoms two years ago when he was out for a walk with his wife and kept bumping into her.  “Why aren’t you walking straight?” she asked.  When the same thing happened during a walking meeting with some staff members, too, he went to see his primary physician. An MRI soon thereafter revealed a brain tumor that had to be removed.  

The brother of a work colleague is a neurosurgeon at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.  When he saw the scan results, he called the chief neurosurgeon at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital who worked my friend into the schedule right away .  The surgeon was one of only four in the country who had experience with that kind of tumor, but there were some clear risks including stroke and cardiac arrest.

The news, of course, was terrifying.  “I found myself drawing on my faith as never before,” he told me at that lunch. “I’ve always heard people say tyou can feel it when others are praying for you and that was certainly true for me. One friend shared a passage from Isaiah that says “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your god; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”  

My friend went on to recall that when being rolled into surgery he kept repeating the verse to himself, in particular the part where God talks about holding his hand. “Just as I was wheeled into the OR,” he continued “a nurse came up to me and said ‘Would you like for me to hold your hand?’”  The operation was a complete success. Afterwards, the surgeon said “I don’t know what your religion is, but God didn’t mean for someone to go as deeply into the brain as I had to do today.  We got it!”    

The Bible frequently speaks about the need for human courage.  Many angelic visits in Scripture begin with the messenger saying to the startled person “Do not be afraid.”  When Joshua succeeded the legendary Moses, God says “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) After calming the storm at sea, Jesus turns to his disciples and asks “Why are you afraid?” (Mark 4:40) Whether or not fear represents a lack of trust in God, it is a natural human emotion.  That reality makes the way Jesus approached his final hours so incredible.

While sitting with his disciple for their last meal together, he calmly announces “One of you will betray me.” (John 13:21b). In the Garden of Gethsemane soon afterwards, knowing all that was to come,  he prayed that God might remove the cup of suffering from him, but quickly added ‘Yet not will, but yours be done.”  Moments later, when Judas leads the arresting party to him, Jesus steps forward from the shadows to say “I am he.” (John 18:6) And when Peter pulls out a sword in a feeble attempt to protect his teacher Jesus stops him and says “Do you think I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53)

I find such responses incredible. It’s hard for me to imagine I could have shown the same courage in that moment which is why Jesus’ words then and those of my friend as he faced surgery so inspirational. I hope they are for you, too.

Strong One, no matter what I am facing this day, help me remember that I am not alone. Give me the courage I need, always. Amen.