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Denis_Laplante
Guest
Why the Garden of Gethsemane? Good question, Hamba2han…Yes, you are quite right and I too am guilty of straying off-topic on this thread.
Anyhow, I think Christians, in focusing on the minor details of this episode, are missing the big picture here.
The main question that needs to be addressed in this instance is:
**Why did they all go in the middle of the night, to Gethsemane — an olive press — a courtyard built of stone walls some 5 miles out of town.?.. and why did they bring swords with them, even though it may have been just two(2) that the disciples could find at that time and place?
If their purpose in going to Gethsemane was entirely peaceful, then why didn’t Jesus (pbuh) just order his disciples to put the 2 swords away while they were still in the upper-room?**
Nay, the only purpose of swords or guns is to maim and to kill. People did not carry swords to pare apples and bananas in the time of Jesus Christ.
As for the “misconceived strategy”, remember that Jesus (pbuh) was not preparing for war against the Roman army but rather, since his “friend” Judas was in league with the Temple authorities, he was expecting a clandestine, underhand attempt by the Jewish oligarchy to seize him… and it was against the Jewish temple servants and the riff-raff of the town that he was planning this particular ‘jihad’.
As things turned out, it was Roman soldiers who unexpectedly overpowered them in Gethsemane and the fact that the disciples fell asleep should in no way detract from the tactical shrewdness of Jesus (pbuh) in going to Gethsemane and not staying in the upper-room.
It was mentioned in one Gospel that they often used to gather there. Moreover, the mention of the “garden” reminds us of the original one: the Garden of Eden! And so does the one garden where Jesus’ tomb was!