The Sword

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

THE SWORD

Luke 22:35-38

35 Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" "Nothing," they answered.   6 He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37 It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment." 38 The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords." "That is enough," he replied.

NIV

There is certainly a lot of discussion about this conversation between Jesus and his disciples among the scholars, all of which have a differing opinion, especially when dealing with this buying a sword. There is another idea that Jesus was telling them as long as he has been with them they were protected and all their provisions were cared for, but now that he is going to be gone, they need to be able to protect and provide for themselves. This is so contrary to everything else he has ever said, or that his disciples were inspired to pen in their letters as well as Paul’s inspired letters. Jesus is telling them all this on the heels of just finishing saying they should not be asking who is the greatest, but see to it they consider themselves as serving each other as well as others. He also had told them, especially Peter about Satan wanting to sift him, but that he prayed for him, that he would not fail, and that he would strengthened his brothers, the other disciples. This is not Jesus telling them or us that we need to provide for ourselves, or take up arms against those who attack him in the garden, or for us to take up arms, go to war against those who violently oppose God. Jesus was telling them what was written about him in Isaiah, but that also he knew a sword was used in the garden. So what can we learn from all this? What do we use as a life lesson? Certainly they had not sold everything, ran out and bought these two swords, they already had a couple laying around, evidently. Some would say that when he first sent them out they only traveled around a small territory and thus needed little, but now that he was going to send them out into all the world, they would need to have provisions, for the world was not going to provide for them. But we know that God has promised to provide for us, that he will meet our every need. Jesus has taught them and us not to be concerned about what we will eat, wear, or live. So this is not about the fact we need to have a purse, and a bag and a sword to attack the enemy with, other then word of God which is sharper than any two edged sword. Perhaps that is what Jesus was teaching here, in regard to the sword, the word of God. That we should not go out empty handed, but have resources we can use to have the word of God for the purpose of God. Jesus was going to be numbered with the transgressors, he was going to take our sin away from us, and thus we should be ready to use whatever means we have, our purse, bag and even our clothes, to get the word of God, the sword, both deep within our spirits and throughout the world. Maybe that is more then what Jesus intended with his words, but it just makes sense when combined with all his other teachings.