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NASB | Matthew 26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 26:37 And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John], He began to be grieved and greatly distressed. |
Bible Question: Was Jesus suffering from "depression" while in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:37)? |
Bible Answer: Why is it so abhorent to think that Jesus felt the full spectrum of human emotion? While we can never know if Jesus would be diagnosed with a dysthymic disorder if examined by a psychologist of today, we know that we relate deeply to his pain, his anguish, his sorrow, his fears. One can read the DSM 4 for a clinical definition of various forms of depression, and it seems unlikely that the hopeful and inspirational man we know as Jesus fits this defintion too closely, but the story of his anguish in the garden isn't about clinical depression. It's about the deeply human Son filled with trepidation, hoping for some reprieve, but in the face of incredible adversity, still humbly asking his Father's will be done. Was he suffering from the fear and worry that are often hallmarks of depression? Was he deeply dismayed by the turn of recent events? Did he feel hopeless? Was he troubled and hurting? I hope so. If he were entirely a diety and not also one of us, what would he fear?What would his sacrifice be worth if he faced it without a wince? Did he experience an emotional state that can, in part, be described as depression? Of course he did. Depression is not a word with one simple meaning, referring only to a clinical state. Depression refers quite adequately to his mood and demeanor. For a person suffering from clinical depression there is hope in this story because Jesus looked straight at what he feared the most, with the betrayal and denial of his commrades about to come, and faced these with extraordinary courage. There is hope there. |