Does Any of This Matter?
Text criticism is not for the faint of heart. Text criticism requires
addressing difficult issues that are often misconstrued and overstated. While
arguing for the originality or later interpolation of any text may be tedious,
the task is remarkably important. The Scripture itself testifies that all Scripture
is "breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for correction, and
for training in righteousness" in order that people "may be complete
(and) equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:16-17). This promise, though,
goes only as far as the Scripture itself goes. If Luke 22:43-44 were not
original verses to Luke's Gospel, but were rather interpolated at some later time,
then these verse must not be preached from the pulpit. Knowing the extent and
limits of the Scriptures must be of primary importance to the Christian.
Other than the obvious necessity of knowing whether or not Luke
22:43-44 is or is not Scripture, what do Christians today glean from these
verses? First, the Christian sees in vivid detail exactly what Jesus went
through in order to atone for the sins of man. This should serve as an
encouragement: that God so loved the world He sent His Son to suffer in agony
not only on the cross but leading up to the cross as well. This ought to lead
the Christian to do a few things. First, the Christian ought to mourn over his
sin. Seeing the agony that Jesus went through in order to atone for the sins of
man ought to cause a sense of agony in the Christian. Second, Luke’s portrayal
of Jesus’s prayer ought to lead Christians to worship God all the more due to
the great suffering that Christ went through on our behalf. Jesus’s death was
of the highest value. Third, we ought to approach the throne of God fearfully,
yet boldly through Christ, knowing that He has already suffered on our behalf,
and beseech the Lord for grace.
The second thing Christians see in this passage is an encouragement to
long-suffering. We live in a world in which trials abound and temptations to
sin are never-ceasing. When Christ was weak, He went to prayer and the Father
answered Him with a ministering angel. We must not presume that the Lord will
send an angel to strengthen us, but we can rest assured that when we face
temptations we will be provided a means of overcoming the temptation. One
cannot help but recall Hebrews 12:4, “In your struggle against sin you have not
yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” It is better to agonize in
prayer than to give in to temptations to sin. The Father is faithful to answer
those who come to Him in prayer and desperation over the difficulties this life
has. (Joseph Hyatt, “εν αγωνια: The Text Critical Issue of Luke 22:43-44,” December
5, 2019, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, pp. 18-19)
Further Reading:
Michael Pope, “The
Downward Motion of Jesus’ Sweat and the Authenticity of Luke 22:43-44,” Catholic
Biblical Quarterly 79, no. 2 [2017]: 261-81)
Lincoln H. Blumell, Luke 22:43–44: An Anti-Docetic Interpolation or an Apologetic Omission?
