Page 4 - 23 May 2025

PAGE 4 · THE REPORTER 23 MAY 2025

in ourselves. To give in,
a c q u i e s c e , a n d b e
completely overcome and
undone. Instead, He calls us
to follow Him, with our
We r e v i s i t J e s u s i n we are told that Jesus finds
His sweat was like drops of anguish, and go with Him to
blood falling to the ground. Gethsemane. Previously we the disciples are asleep due the cross. This is where He
When He rose from prayer saw the mental anguish the exhaustion of their takes all our heartbreak and
and went back to the Christ was in. sorrow. desolation to transform it.
disciples, He found them We notice the distress of the We see the humanity and
asleep, exhausted from disciples who were with Him. frailty of the disciples, and it An action to take: Take
For the next few weeks we am suffering. And, in doing sorrow. 'Why are you allows us to be honest about stock of all anguish and
will consider mental health so, the Lord will send angels sleeping?' He asked them. The disciples have seen ours. Many of us have faced sufferings that have
and faith. We will begin with to be with us too. 'Get up and pray so that you Jesus cast out demons, walk such anguish that we are accumulated in your life, and
Jesus, who reveals God's will not fall into temptation.' on water, raise the dead, and overcome by it. The losses those you are facing now.
care and support for our An action to take: Pause While he was still speaking a sleep peacefully in a life- and pains of life are often too Know that the Lord sees you
mental well-being, and then and consider what you think crowd came up, and the threatening storm. Yet now much to bear and we fall and understands your pains.
we will explore with about mental health and man who was called Judas, they see Him as they have asleep, sometimes A prayer to make: Lord
characters of the Bible, faith, and why. one of the Twelve, was never seen Him before. The Jesus, in Your anguish You
God's care and support for A verse to commit to l e a d i n g t h e m . H e Jesus who has seemed literally to escape and for saw the distress of Your
us. memory this week: 'This approached Jesus to kiss imperturbably calm in the respite from pain and mental disciples. Thank You that
High Priest of ours under- face of so many crises, has anguish.
Jesus is fully God and fully him, but Jesus asked him, recently wept at the tomb of You see my distress. Take me
man. stands our weaknesses, for 'Judas, are you betraying the Lazarus, and is now, in Other times, in our pain we by the hand, help me to stay
He faced all of the same Son of Man with a kiss?' fall asleep to ourselves. awake and move to Your
Scripture reminds us that testings we do, yet He did Gethsemane, overcome with cross with You, where my
Christ enters into and not sin' (Hebrews 4:15, NLT). When Jesus' followers saw anguish, sweating blood in Christ's response can seem sufferings find their remedy.
experiences all the trials and what was going to happen, extreme distress. And they harsh. Amen.
fall asleep.
tribulations of life that we A prayer to make: Heavenly they said, 'Lord, should we We can read His words as
experience. This includes Father, thank You that You strike with our swords?' And No matter how tired you are, curt and abrasive. But Luke 29: 39-53 (See
mental health. We see Christ understand our struggles one of them struck the falling asleep when the instead imagine Him previous)
i n t h e G a r d e n o f and sufferings, including servant of the high priest, person you love above all kneeling over the disciples Psalm 34:18: The LORD is
Gethsemane, overcome with those of mental health. As I cutting off his right ear. But things is in such agony is He loves, close to the broken-hearted
anguish, i.e. severe mental consider my past and any Jesus answered, 'No more of unexpected. But human and saves those who are
pain and suffering. present mental health this!' And He touched the beings have a defence seeing their anguish as His. crushed in spirit.
issues, thank You that in man's ear and healed him. mechanism whereby we He reaches out to them,
We are allowed to see this Jesus You see me, hear me, Then Jesus said to the chief shut down in the face of strokes their faces, takes Matthew 5:4: Blessed are
moment. It is not edited out love me, and want to priests, the officers of the the extreme distress. There is their hands and says gently, those who mourn, for they
to present Christ as a strengthen me. Send the chief priests, the officers of only so much mental despair 'Get up and pray so that you will be comforted.
superhero untouched by angels that tended Jesus to the temple guard, and the we can take before our will not fall into temptation.' Psalm 147.3: He heals the
suffering. The anticipation of be with me. Amen. elders, who had come for bodies shut down in the face For Christ in His suffering broken-hearted and binds
what He is about to endure is him, 'Am I leading a of overwhelm. In verse 45, knows the dangers we face up their wounds.
more than He can bear Further Study: rebellion, that you have
alone. An angel attends to Luke 22:39-53: Jesus went come with swords and Further Reading: binds them all together in the course of time Cain
care for Him. He has out as usual to the Mount of clubs? Every day I was with Colossians3:1-17: Since, perfect unity. Let the peace brought some of the fruits of
disciples with Him for Olives, and His disciples you in the temple courts, then, you have been raised of Christ rule in your hearts, the soil as an offering to the
company and support. followed Him. On reaching and you did not lay a hand with Christ, set your hearts since as members of one Lord. But Abel also brought
the place, He said to them, body you were called to an offering - fat portions
This is not weakness. It is 'Pray that you will not fall into on me. But this is your hour - on things above, where peace. And be thankful. Let from some of the firstborn of
identification with humanity, temptation.' He withdrew when darkness reigns.' Christ is, seated at the right the message of Christ dwell his flock. The Lord looked
and Christ in His. Many about a stone's throw Hebrews 4:15 (NLT): This hand of God. Set your minds among you richly as you with favour on Abel and his
Christians thinks mental beyond them, knelt down H i g h P r i e s t o f o u r s on things above, not on teach and admonish one offering, but on Cain and his
distress is sinful, something and prayed, 'Father, if you understands our weak- earthly things. another with all wisdom offering he did not look with
to confess and repent of. But are willing, take this cup nesses, for he faced all of the For you died, and your life is through psalms, hymns, and favour. So Cain was very
it is not. We can do as Christ from me; yet not my will, but same testings we do, yet he now hidden with Christ in songs from the Spirit, angry, and favour. So Cain
did and bring our anguish to yours be done.' An angel did not sin. God. When Christ, who is singing to God with gratitude was very angry, and his face
the Father. from heaven appeared to your life, appears, then you in your hearts. And whatever was downcast. Then the
Him and strengthened Him. ! Corinthians 3.23: And you also will appear with Him in Lord said to Cain, 'Why are
And, like Christ, we can are of Christ, and Christ is of glory. Put to death, therefore, you do, whether in word or
surrender and say to the And being in anguish, He God. whatever belongs to your deed, do it all in the name of you angry? Why is your face
Lord, Your will be done in all I prayed more earnestly, and the Lord Jesus, giving downcast? If you do what is
earthly nature: sexual thanks to God the Father right, will you not be
immorality, lust, evil desires through Him. accepted? But if you do not
and greed, which is idolatry. do what is right, sin is
Because of these, the wrath Genesis 4:1- 7: Adam made crouching at your door; it
of God is coming. You used love to his wife Eve, and she
deal with stress through became pregnant and gave desires to have you, but you
to walk in these ways, in the must rule over it.’
energetic physical activity, birth to Cain. She said, 'With
but we can't expect to deal life you once lived. But now the help of the Lord I have Hebrews 12:15: See to it
you must also rid yourselves
with resentment that way. of all such things as these: brought forth a man.' Later that no one falls short of the
Root problems can never be she gave birth to his brother grace of God and that no
Today we consider more you take yourself wherever d e a l t w i t h t h r o u g h anger, rage, malice, slander, Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, bitter root grows up to cause
unhealthy ways of dealing you go. A man I know who superficial remedies. The and filthy language from and Cain worked the soil. In trouble and defile many.
with such matters as believed his mother-in-law types of action I have your lips. Do not lie to each
resentment, anger and an was responsible for his described are like trying to other, since you have taken
unforgiving spirit. Another feelings of aggravation went heal over a boil. They drive off your old self with its
wrong method is to express away for a few days. the poison further in. The practices and have put on
our negative feelings to the However, as soon as he poison must be drawn up the new self, which is being
one who has offended us by r e t u r n e d h o m e h i s and out. I have often said renewed in knowledge in the
giving them, as we say, 'a symptoms started up again, that we never bury emotions image of its Creator. Here
piece of our mind'. There is of course. there is no Gentile or Jew,
dead, but alive. If they are c i r c u m c i s e d o r
no doubt that it is possible to Often when people are angry not dealt with, they will uncircumcised, barbarian,
gain some temporary relief or resentful they try to deal sooner or later surface Scythian, slave or free, but
by 'blowing our top', but it is with their negative feelings again, perhaps with more Christ is all, and is in all.
not a good option. through a form of physical serious consequences. Therefore, as God's chosen
activity. One woman
It relieves the symptom but people, holy and dearly
confessed that she punched A prayer to make: O God
does not solve the root a pillow until her resentment my Father, help me see that loved, clothe yourselves with
problem. compassion, kindness,
subsided. where resentment is humility, gentleness and
Yet another wrong method is Another admitted going to concerned I am dealing with patience. Bear with each
to run away from the the piano and banging away something dangerous and other and forgive one
circumstances which give at some tune. must not try to run away another if any of you has a
rise to the resentment. But from it or sidestep it. Please grievance against someone.
that does nothing for the real What can be wrong with help me go to the roots and Forgive as the Lord forgave
problem which is, of course, these tactics? There is find release there. In Jesus' you. And over all these
yourself. The trouble is that nothing wrong with trying to name. Amen. virtues put on love, which