Swords and Bags?

Yesterday during his sermon, our pastor made a comment about how Peter pulled a sword during Jesus' arrest.  I was reminded of something I had read from Luke's Gospel, namely that Jesus had told them to bring the swords.  Here are the verses from the very end of the conversations at the Last Supper - Luke 22:33-38 NIV:

[33] But he [Peter] replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 

[34] Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” 

[35] Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.

[36] 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's enough!” he replied."

I remember the first time I read this, and was surprised by Jesus' words.  In fact, the swords are referenced again later in the chapter - Luke 22:47-53 NIV:

[47]"While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 

[48] but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 

[49] When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” [50] And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 

[51] But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man's ear and healed him. 

[52] Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? [53] Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour---when darkness reigns.”

These verses are a great example of how we could take things in scripture and make up some theology, or doctrine, without considering the rest of the scriptures.  While Jesus clearly told them to bring swords, He was not advocating violence.  IF we look at a couple other scriptures, we find Him clearly speaking about such things.

Matthew 26:52-54 NIV:

[52] “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. [53] Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? [54] But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

-and- 

John 18:36 NIV:  "Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

- and finally from Paul - 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV:

[3] "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. [4] The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. [5] We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Instead of reading those first verses from Luke as Jesus telling them to grab swords to defend Him, I believe His words were giving them perspective about the change that was about to occur.  He was going to be leaving them, and things were about to get real, and require them to think and act differently.  Before he told them not to take a purse or bag, now they needed to take a purse or bag!  He wouldn't be there to look after their physical needs.  before they never needed to worry about their own protection, now they needed to (back then swords were for protection) be ready protect themselves.  His physical absence was going to force them to thinks and act differently, and as was most often the case, I think the apostles might have misunderstood.

Jesus' words, were effectively a warning that things were going to change with Him being gone, and they needed to be ready for the change.  His command to love one another (John 13:34) as He loved didn't change.  His encouragement to be in relationship with Himself, the Father and Holy Spirit didn't change.  His direction to continue His ministry, to go to all the world didn't change, nor did His ministry style change.  We see clearly in Acts that the apostles figured out what He meant, and they ministered as He did, and we find no other mention of any of Jesus followers taking up weapons. 

So the question to me today is, am I responding to the change that is happening correctly?  Am I bearing witness to Jesus' command to love as He loved?  Am I ministering in His character, am I representing Jesus well?

Lord, help us all (Your Church) to represent You correctly in all we say and/or do.

Amen and Amen!