And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me even one hour?”
This saying reveals a deep picture of human weakness and spiritual carelessness. Christ returns from His prayer, seeking the support of those close to Him, but finds them asleep. In the darkness of Gethsemane a contrast is opened: the Lord, awake in prayer, and the disciples, drowsy in numb insensibility. The question, “Could you not stay awake with Me for one hour?” is not spoken with harshness, but with pain. It is not an accusation, but a sorrowful reminder that without prayer a person cannot remain standing. Peter is mentioned here in a special way, because a little earlier he had assured, “even if I die, I will not deny You” (26:35). Yet he is among the first to fall asleep. This episode shows that human warmth and readiness often do not endure the weight of trial if they are not strengthened by prayer. Christ’s words, “stay awake with Me for one hour,” are also symbolic: the one hour is an image of the whole of life, when a person is called to watch over his faith throughout his life. The sleep in Gethsemane becomes a warning to believers of all times that in spiritual life the greatest danger is indifference, and the greatest weapon is prayer.