Under Pressure 1

This week Rupert looks at the way in which Jesus’ disciples behaved when they were under extreme pressure. The passage is Mark 14; 27-50, where Jesus predicts his death, is deeply distressed at Gethsemane and is then arrested. We see the disciples reacting in a defensive manner, withdrawing from Jesus and then attacking (the servant of the High Priest). Are such behaviours (defensiveness, withdrawal and attack) ones that are actually familiar to us? The disciples have clearly demonstrated that when under pressure, ‘We don’t rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.’ (Archilochus)
But there is hope. And next week Rupert will look at what we can learn from Jesus to help us develop a more life-giving response to the pressured times in our lives.