"Mark 14:32–42, 2025.04.16 (Wed)"

6 Jesus said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”— Mark 14:36

The weather had been warm for a few days, but now cold air and fog fill the mornings and evenings. Yesterday, the fog was so thick throughout the day that the sun was hidden entirely. Only by evening did a faint ray of sunlight peek through—and because the day had been so cold, that small warmth felt even more significant.

During such times, when driving over the hills to church, I often see the mountain slopes of the Lamorinda region (Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda) as I begin to descend. The fog hanging over those ridges sometimes reminds me of the clouds I saw years ago looking down from Mount Taebaek. It’s a breathtaking sight, like those you witness in the mountain ranges of Gangwon-do. I’ve tried a few times to capture it in a photo, as it looks just like the clouds draped over a mountaintop—but there’s never quite the right spot to stop, so I usually just keep driving.

In such moments, memories of all the mountains and clouds I’ve encountered in my life flash before me. It’s as if, when a memory is stirred, the past becomes present again in an instant.

In the same way, reading Scripture and visualizing its scenes can draw us into those sacred moments in a heartbeat. Today’s passage records Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, and as we read it, we’re drawn deeply into the moment and begin to share in his agony.

"Take this cup from me!"This plea captures a deeply human desire to avoid suffering in the face of imminent pain—it adds a powerful dramatic weight to the scene. Yet Jesus did not turn away. He walked the path of suffering, carried the cross, and died upon it."Not what I will, but what you will…”This confession is not resignation, but a resolute declaration: a willful choice to walk the path God has laid, no matter the cost.

As we read this passage, we’re not just observers—we’re drawn into it, feeling the multitude of emotions within it. If we can feel this just from reading Scripture, how much more vivid and meaningful is the sharing of life among us?

Yesterday, I received an urgent message. Brother Moon Chang-ho, the husband of Deaconess Kang Kyung-sook, had an accident while moving a refrigerator. He lost his balance carrying the heavy appliance and fell down several steps. At the emergency room, they thankfully found no major internal injuries, but he did suffer a displaced pelvis that now requires metal pins and rehabilitation.

In that moment, I felt pain throughout my own body. The ache, the shock, and the sorrow all rushed in at once.In the trembling voice of the deaconess, I could feel her fear. Hearing what had happened filled my mind with a thousand racing thoughts, urging me to find a way to help. Above all, I felt a deep urge to pray—fervently, immediately.

Just as we are drawn into the story when reading Scripture, we are drawn into life in the same way. That is why we are called Christians and gather under the name of the Church—as one community.

Meditation

What does it mean to be a community?And what additional meaning does the church community carry?

Intercessory Prayer

1. Please pray for the swift recovery of Brother Moon Chang-ho, the husband of Deaconess Kang Kyung-sook.

2. Our Holy Week Early Morning Prayer Services will continue through this Saturday.Please join us in this sacred time of shared prayer.