Jesus In India — Page 49
CHAPTER ONE 39 his own expectations, he involuntarily cried out: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,' that is to say, 'My God, my God, why hast Thou for- saken me?,¹ Meaning, ‘I did not ever expect that this would be my end and that I would die on the cross. I believed with certainty that You would listen to my prayers. So, both these references of the Gospels show that Jesus, the Messiah, firmly believed with all his heart that his prayer would be accepted and that his night- long cries and supplications would not go to waste. In fact, he had himself taught his disciples, on behalf of God Almighty, that if they prayed, their prayers would be accepted. He had also related the parable of the judge who feared neither God nor man, which was intended to convey to the disciples that, without doubt, God Almighty did indeed listen to prayers. And although Jesus, the Messiah, had been apprised by God Almighty of the impending catastrophe that was to befall him, yet, like all righteous people, he nevertheless prayed to God Almighty, believing that there was nothing impossible for Him and that everything that happened or did not happen was subject to God's will. Now if the prayer of Jesus, the Messiah, himself was not accepted, God forbid, what an adverse effect this would have had on his disciples who had seen with their own eyes that the prayer of a great prophet like Jesus, the Messiah, addressed all night long with such burning passion, had not been accepted. Such an unfortunate example would have sorely tried their faith. God Almighty's mercy, therefore, required that this prayer must be accepted; and indeed the prayer that was offered at Gethsemane was accepted. There is another point to remember in this connection. Just 1. See Matthew 27:46 [Publisher]