No Sweat?

This morning there was an intersection between a classroom conversation and my personal devotional time. We collided at Luke 22:44 as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Aside from sleepy disciples, what many people recall about this passage is the reference to Jesus sweating. The NIV records that "his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." One of my students understood this to be clearly saying Jesus was sweating blood. I pointed out the [to me very likely] possibility that this is a metaphor explaining how profusely Jesus was sweating -- that it was pouring down. There is also a rare physical phenomenon known as hematidrosis in which under great emotional stress, the tiny blood vessels in the sweat glands rupture to produce a mixture of blood and sweat.

As a side note, there is some question as to whether Luke actually penned these words in the first place. Although they "sound Lucan," the earliest manuscripts do not have the words included. But as this is an iconic reference and the only canonical place it occurs (see also woman caught in adultery in John 8), the decision was made to retain it in the text.

But pondering this has led me to consider the question of what we're willing to break a sweat for. On a physical level, most of us sweat when we exercise. We're willing to break a sweat to "get in shape" or to look good. Most of us also sweat when we do hard physical labor. The task, whether vocationally or some chore around the house, is worth breaking a sweat for (or we feel we have little choice but to do it). But when it comes to our relationship with God, are we willing to break a sweat? Are the tasks He gives us important enough to us that we are willing to sweat for it?

Earlier in the same verse, we're told Jesus was in agony as He prayed. This was something he wrestled with. I wonder sometimes if we agonize more over our plans for the weekend or our next big purchase than we do over the things that matter to God? If I sweat for God, what would He have me do?