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| Jesus prays the night before his death. |
~ Luke 22:44
I used to think that the New Testament description of Jesus "sweating blood" in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he was crucified was an example of literary license taken by the Scripture author(s). The writer in me believed that a bit of exaggeration would be forgivable, under the circumstances.
However, in recent years I have learned that sweating blood is a very rare, very real physiological phenomenon that occurs under conditions of enormous stress, fear, and anxiety. The medical term is "hematohidrosis," and it is sometimes seen in condemned prisoners walking to their executions. There are also reports of soldiers going into battle exhibiting this dramatic symptom.
As we anticipate tomorrow's Easter celebrations, we should pause to remember the price of our joy.
