The human heart longs for sympathy in suffering. This longing Christ felt to the very depths of His being. In the supreme agony of His soul He came to His disciples with a yearning desire to hear some words of comfort from those whom He had so often blessed and comforted, and shielded in sorrow and distress. The One who had always had words of sympathy for them was now suffering superhuman agony, and He longed to know that they were praying for Him and for themselves. 688 How dark seemed the malignity of sin! Terrible was the temptation to let the human race bear the consequences of its own guilt, while He stood innocent before God. If He could only know that His disciples understood and appreciated this, He would be strengthened.

Det menneskelige hjerte higer efter medfølelse i lidelsen. Kristus følte denne længsel til sin sjæls dybder. I sin største sjælekval kom han hen til disciplene med et brændende ønske om at høre nogle trøstende ord fra dem, som han så ofte havde velsignet og trøstet og skærmet i sorg og nød. Han selv, som altid havde haft deltagende ord parat til dem, led nu overmenneskelige kvaler, og han længtes efter at vide, at de bad for ham og for sig selv. Hvor forekom syndens ondskab dog mørk! Det var en frygtelig fristelse at lade menneskeslægten selv bære følgerne af sin egen synd, medens han stod uskyldig i Guds øjne. Hvis han blot kunne være sikker på, at hans disciple forstod og værdsatte dette, så ville det styrke ham.