Your Weeping in the Garden

Have you found yourself weeping in the garden?

Gardens in Scripture can represent the bleak situations in our lives. The relationship you have experienced betrayal. The grieving of a dream not coming to fruition. The sudden redirection of your life.

2 Samuel 15:30 describes such a place for David in his life:

“But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.”

David experienced a series of unfortunate events — the main one including a falling out with his son Absalom. 2 Samuel 15 details David’s escape. The King leaves his kingdom because of an uprising of his son. As you read through the episode of David and Absalom starting 2 Samuel 13, you notice that each character contributes to the breakdown of this relationship. The passiveness of David in part fuels Abasoloms anger and rebellion.

This bleak situation sets the stage for 2 Samuel 15:30. David weeps walking through up the Mount of Olives. You can resonate with the regret, betrayal, misdirection, and loss of the dream. The writer of 2 Samuel captures the reality of humanity.

One glimmer of light shines. The Mount of Olives includes the Garden of Gethsemane. Thousands of years later, Jesus would weep in the same garden as David (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46). Unlike David, Jesus would rescue humanity of their brokenness without contributing to the problem. We can second guess David’s motivation, but Jesus motivated out of love, grace, and justice would die on a cross and resurrect from the dead.

So what hope does that have you? What hope does that offer us today? Jesus wept in the garden like David.  The writers of Scripture offer no immediate, easy answers for the darkness we face in the world. Yet, they point to a Savior who has walked where we walked.

When we weep in the garden of our lives, we have the invitation to experience the Gospel. Jesus knows the pain of betrayal, the loss of a dream, and a redirection. Our hope lies in the presence of a Savior and not the change of circumstances. Somewhere in the goodness of God, we experience a depth of grace only from Jesus and shedding where we have looked for hope outside of Jesus.

Today, do you identify with David and Jesus? Do you find yourself weeping in the garden? I pray you find a Savior who has shared the pain you feel. That you would find your hope in Him despite the reality of your circumstances. And that you would find solace and support from the community of faith.

Photo by Claudia