Annotation CXIV

”He began to be sorrowful and heavy.” — Matthew 26:37

Whether Christ truly feared for himself, and truly prayed for himself.

Hilary, canon 31 on Matthew, hints that Christ neither truly feared for himself, nor truly grieved [nor truly prayed for himself], but for his own [disciples]. And he uses these words:

“And having taken Peter, James, and John, he began to be sorrowful. Therefore he is not sorrowful before he takes [them], and all the fear began to be for them, [they] being taken up; and thus the sadness arose not from him, but from those whom he had taken up. And below: Finally he says, ‘My soul is sorrowful even unto death.’ Does he say, ‘My soul is sorrowful on account of [my] death’? Certainly not so. For if there was fear about death, it ought surely to be referred to that [death] through which it existed. But it is one thing to fear up to a point, another to fear on account of it. Again, a little after: The whole fear, therefore, was over those who were about to suffer. And therefore, because it is not possible that he should not suffer, he prays for those who were about to suffer after him, saying, ‘Let the cup pass from me’ — that is, as it is drunk by me, so let it be drunk by these without distrust of hope, without sense of pain, without fear of death.” The Master of the Sentences interprets this passage, book 3, distinction 17; whose interpretation, seek above, Annotation 186 of book 5.

Jerome, book 4 on Matthew, expounding the beginning of chapter 26, seems to subscribe to Hilary, when he says: “Let them blush who think that the Savior feared death, and out of dread of the passion said, ‘Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.’” See Annotation 183 of book 5.