Daily Scripture:
Luke 22:
36 “But now,” he said, if you have a wallet or a pack, take it; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your robe to buy one. 37 For I tell you this: the passage from the Tanakh that says, ‘He was counted with transgressors,’[Luke 22:37 Isaiah 53:12] has to be fulfilled in me; since what is happening to me has a purpose.” 38 They said, “Look, Lord, there are two swords right here!” “Enough!” he replied.
39 On leaving, Yeshua went as usual to the Mount of Olives; and the talmidim followed him. 40 When he arrived, he said to them, “Pray that you won’t be put to the test.” 41 He went about a stone’s throw away from them, kneeled down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, let not my will but yours be done.” 43 There appeared to him an angel from heaven giving him strength, 44 and in great anguish he prayed more intensely, so that his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 On rising from prayer and coming to the talmidim, he found them sleeping because of their grief. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you won’t be put to the test!”
47 While he was still speaking, a crowd of people arrived, with the man called Y’hudah (one of the Twelve!) leading them. He came up to Yeshua to kiss him, 48 but Yeshua said to him, “Y’hudah, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 When his followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we use our swords?” 50 One of them struck at the slave of the cohen hagadol and cut off his right ear. 51 But Yeshua answered, “Just let me do this,” and, touching the man’s ear, he healed him.Complete Jewish Bible).
John 18:33 So Pilate went back into the headquarters, called Yeshua and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Yeshua answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have other people told you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and head cohanim have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36 Yeshua answered, “My kingship does not derive its authority from this world’s order of things. If it did, my men would have fought to keep me from being arrested by the Judeans. But my kingship does not come from here.”(Complete Jewish Bible).
Reflection Questions:At times honest Christians quote Luke 22:36 to try to prove that Jesus told his followers to buy arms. The broader context points the other way. “[In verse 36] Jesus exaggerates to stress how dangerous things will be for his followers. He doesn’t literally intend for them to sell their clothes and go naked in order to buy a sword…. [In verse 38] The disciples take Luke 22:36 literally, a mistake…. This is not their finest hour. ‘Enough of that!’: Jesus is deeply annoyed with them.”* Peter tried to defend Jesus with a sword, but his Lord told him to stop. (In Matthew 26:52, Jesus added, “All those who use the sword will die by the sword”). He told Pilate his Kingdom wasn’t earthly, so his disciples weren’t offering armed resistance.
- Scholar N. T. Wright wrote, “When Jesus says ‘That’s enough!’ he isn’t suggesting that two swords would be sufficient for the job in hand (what could that possibly mean?); he is wearily putting a stop to the entire conversation, in which at every point they seem determined to misunderstand him.”** What are the spiritual hazards of being “determined to misunderstand” Jesus? How can you avoid doing that?
- British scholar William Barclay wrote of John 18, “[Jesus] makes it quite clear that he claims to be a king and equally clear that his kingdom is not based on force but is a kingdom in the hearts of men. He would never deny that he aimed at conquest, but it was the conquest of love.”*** To Pilate, the Jewish leaders (and at times even to his disciples), Jesus' idea looked naïve and unrealistic. Did Jesus accomplish “the conquest of love” in our world? In your heart?
* Richard B. Vinson, study notes on Luke 22:36, 38 in Joel B. Green, gen. ed. The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 158-159 NT.
** N. T. Wright, Luke for Everyone. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p. 267.
*** William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of John—Volume 2 Chapters 8–21 (Revised Edition). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, page 244.
Read today's Insight by Chris AbelChris Abel is the Young Adults Pastor at Resurrection, and he describes himself as a "Pastor/Creative-type/Adventurer." A former atheist turned passionate follower of Christ, he completed his seminary education in Washington, DC. Before coming to Resurrection, Chris was a campus pastor near St. Louis, MO.
"When those around him recognized what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should we fight with our swords?” One of them struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear.
Jesus responded, “Stop! No more of this!” He touched the slave’s ear and healed him." (Luke 22:49-51)
When I was in middle school, I befriended a random kid while out and about riding my bike. What set this kid apart was two things:
1. He was bald.
2. He had a port in his head.
Turns out, he had cancer and was in the middle of fighting it. Like any socially oblivious teenager, I rode up and asked him why his “head looked weird.” (I’m still not much more tactful today…) After hanging out for a bit, I invited him over to my home, like you did in the 90s. He stayed for an hour, then left on good terms.
That night, my grandfather pulled me aside and told me to never bring him over again. I asked, “Because he had cancer?” He responded, “No, because he’s hispanic.” Naturally, I was super confused. “Grandpa, he has cancer. Shouldn’t I be nice to him?” So he spelled it out for me. “He’s going to go home and tell his family what we own and they might try to rob us.”
I kid you not. This conversation happened.
And even then, I realized what the conversation was really about. My grandfather was afraid. He was afraid that people would take what was his. He felt that the world was a dangerous, scary place, and you had to protect what you had. He also owned a lot of guns. And he told stories about using them.
I share this story because I learned early on that there are two kinds of people. There are people who see the world as dangerous and threatening—a world where good people are the exception. And then there are people who see the world as good and abundant and full of possibility—a world where bad people are the exception.
And these views change how you interact with the world.
If you are living out of fear, then it makes complete sense to guard your possessions and arm yourself and be suspicious of every person who might want what you have.
But if you are living out of abundance and love, it makes complete sense to walk through this world unarmed and willing to give of yourself to others who might need what you have.
The truth is, we live somewhere in-between. The world isn’t a safe place, is it? As Christians, we pray to God, “your kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven.” But that kingdom isn’t here yet. And our world is very much broken.
So when it comes to protecting yourself and your things, I get it. But as a Christian, my call isn’t to protect myself or my things. In fact, the invitation from Christ is to “pick up your cross”—to give up our safety and our comfort to help make this broken world a little more like the kingdom it will be someday. This isn’t a political statement or legislation. It’s a guiding principle for those of us who follow Jesus, who when his life was threatened chose not to fight back or protect himself with violent methods, but rather reach out and heal the very men who were wishing him harm.
Sure, it’s not fair. And it’s not right. But it seems to me this world will just get more separated and alienated if we’re all armed to the teeth. Love will get us places. Fear never does.
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- Prayer Tip: What Would Jesus Say About School Violence?
- Choose life eternal over any and all possessions
- The rich should pay heed to the prophets
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- Been given much? Much is demanded
- Or download this week's printable GPS.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States Grow Pray Study Guide for Sunday, 22 April 2018 "Prayer Tip: What Would Jesus Say About School Violence?" Luke 22:25-36 & Matthew 26:52 & Luke 8:26.
Daily Scripture:
Luke 22:35 He said to them, “When I sent you out without wallet, pack or shoes, were you ever short of anything?” “Not a thing,” they answered. 36 “But now,” he said, if you have a wallet or a pack, take it; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your robe to buy one.(Complete Jewish Bible).
Matthew 26:52 Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back where it belongs, for everyone who uses the sword will die by the sword.(Complete Jewish Bible).
Luke 8:26 They sailed on and landed in the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite the Galil.(Complete Jewish Bible).
Prayer Tip:
So many of us have, at times, fought the good fight. But if we’re not careful, we can stay in fight mode when we don’t have to. By nature, we are tough people, territorial people, and we can become so used to gripping the sword that we miss the times when the sword needs to be laid down.
When that happens, things change. Lives change. So much of becoming a disciple is moving away from living a life with closed fists, anger, and judgment. We learn to let go and become the image bearers of a loving God who calls us to share in his love and to be peacemakers. Let’s pray for discernment about when we need to fight the good fight and when we need to put the sword down.
Lord,
We give thanks for your love and grace. Help us to let go of things that make us angry and bitter. Fill our hearts with understanding, compassion, and love, that we may continue to be your instruments of peace, bringing your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen. (Tino Herrera, Congregational Care Pastor)
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Daily Scripture:
Luke 22:35 He said to them, “When I sent you out without wallet, pack or shoes, were you ever short of anything?” “Not a thing,” they answered. 36 “But now,” he said, if you have a wallet or a pack, take it; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your robe to buy one.(Complete Jewish Bible).
Matthew 26:52 Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back where it belongs, for everyone who uses the sword will die by the sword.(Complete Jewish Bible).
Luke 8:26 They sailed on and landed in the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite the Galil.(Complete Jewish Bible).
Prayer Tip:
So many of us have, at times, fought the good fight. But if we’re not careful, we can stay in fight mode when we don’t have to. By nature, we are tough people, territorial people, and we can become so used to gripping the sword that we miss the times when the sword needs to be laid down.
When that happens, things change. Lives change. So much of becoming a disciple is moving away from living a life with closed fists, anger, and judgment. We learn to let go and become the image bearers of a loving God who calls us to share in his love and to be peacemakers. Let’s pray for discernment about when we need to fight the good fight and when we need to put the sword down.
Lord,
We give thanks for your love and grace. Help us to let go of things that make us angry and bitter. Fill our hearts with understanding, compassion, and love, that we may continue to be your instruments of peace, bringing your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen. (Tino Herrera, Congregational Care Pastor)
Like this post? Share it!
You might also like
- Choose life eternal over any and all possessions
- The rich should pay heed to the prophets
- Jesus offended money-loving Pharisees
- Been given much? Much is demanded
- Wallets that don’t wear out for eternal treasure
- Or download this week's printable GPS.
©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
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