Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the body is weak (Matthew 26: 41)

A minister told of an occasion when he was preaching—a man in the congregation fell asleep and began to snore. He snored so loudly that soon he could be heard all over the sanctuary, and the other members of the congregation began to snicker and to laugh. The laughter woke the sleeping man and he sat up, embarrassed by the incident.

The preacher stood quietly for a moment, then said, “That’s the trouble with Christians today. Half of them are asleep and the other half think it’s funny!”

When Jesus returned to the apostles after His prayer vigil, he found them asleep, but He did not laugh. He knew full well that the evening of eating and the hectic schedule they had all had the previous week had left them full and sleepy. But their sleepiness at a critical moment in Jesus’ ministry creates a sobering picture for all of us.

Physical sleepiness is not the most serious problem we experience within the church. The real problem is spiritual drowsiness. We all become so absorbed in our jobs, our recreation, our relationships and our responsibilities to the outside world, that we become spiritually sluggish in our Christian walk. We need to realize that even though half of us are asleep, the other half needs to refrain from thinking it’s funny, because souls are at stake.

Holy Creator, may we take seriously the need to remain spiritually alert in the chaos of today’s world!