Swords

 Hey.

Today, we continue with Luke 22, this time we will look at verses 35-38.  Jesus has just predicted Peter's denial, and now as they head out to the Mount of Olives, Jesus makes sure they are armed with swords.  Here is my translation: 

35 Jesus said to his disciples, “When I sent you out without a bag for money or a pack or sandals, did you lack anything?”

36 They responded, “Nothing.”  

37 Then he said, “But now, if you have a money bag, take it. Do the same thing, if you have a pack. And if you don’t have one, sell your cloak and buy a sword, 37 because I am telling you that what has been written about me must be fulfilled, “He will be numbered among the outlaws.” These words are reaching their fulfillment.” 

38 His disciples said, “Lord, look, we have two swords.” 

 Jesus responded, “That’s enough.” 

Jesus recalls for his disciples the missionary journeys that he had sent them on back in chapters 9 and 10.  He had sent them without any provision, and reminded them that even though they took nothing with them, they still lacked for nothing.  They had been asked to trust God for their provision, and God had provided.  However, now Jesus changes this command.  Now, they are to take such items with them as bags, extra clothes and even a sword.  

God is not going to stop providing for them, but the circumstances have changed. Now they were no longer going on a short missionary journey of a few days and rejoining Jesus later.  They would instead be living missionary lives. Previously, they had relied on the kindness of strangers to be sheltered and fed.  Again, this was for a short time.  Now, the command is to be self-sufficient. 

An interesting thing here is Jesus' command to sell the cloak and buy a sword.  Just thinking out lud here, but I wonder, why did Jesus tell them to bring a sword, and then not allow Peter to use it? 

When the apostles state that they have two swords, Jesus declares, “That’s enough.”  Enough for what?  They were not going to drive out the Romans, or even fight off the mob coming for Jesus with only two swords. Then, later, Jesus rebukes Peter for using it on the servant of the high priest. Certainly, the early church responded to all persecution non-violently. So, why would they carry two swords with them now? 

Jesus ends this talk swords, by saying that what has been written about him must be fulfilled.  He quotes Isaiah 53:12 where the suffering servant is numbered among the ‘transgressors’ or ‘outlaws.’  Are the two thoughts connected?  I really don’t know.  His point, in bringing Isaiah 53 into the conversation here is that his suffering is necessary, and that indeed he would very soon be crucified between two criminals.  This had been the plan all along, and it was foretold centuries earlier by Isaiah.  It was now time for those words to reach their fulfillment.  

A quick look at some of the things Isaiah says might be in order:

• Verse 3 - He was despised and rejected.  A man of suffering and familiar with pain.
• Verse 4 - Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering.  
• Verse 5 - he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. 
• Verse 6 - The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 
• Verse 7 - He was oppressed and afflicted.
• Verse 8 - for the transgression of my people, he was punished. 
• Verse 10 - Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush and to cause him to suffer. 
• Verse 12 - because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.  For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. 

Jesus is calling attention to Isaiah’s prophecy, because that is exactly what was about to happen.  For their part, the disciples did not understand any of this.  They think that this conversation is about swords.  It isn’t, it is about Jesus suffering and fulfilling the prophecies about him. 

The apostles respond that they have two swords.  Jesus responds, “That’s enough.”  Some speculate that Jesus' response of "That's enough” on the swords is that he is essentially saying that it is enough talk about swords. It could also be that Jesus is simply saying that two swords are enough for their purposes.  That seems to make the most sense to me, since it was Jesus who brought up swords in the first place, and he did not tell the apostles to put the swords away.  Sadly, because Jesus is having one conversation, and the apostles are hearing a different one, they are completely unprepared for what is about to happen.