Buy Swords

Buy swords, but not use them?

He (Jesus) said to them, “But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one.  For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted among the lawless,’ and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.” They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” He replied, “It is enough.” - Luke 22:36-38

This is an interesting section of the Gospel, the same Jesus that tells His disciples to love their enemy and to not resist an evil person is telling them to buy swords.  Did He change His mind? Even at first glance, Jesus gives a reason, it is to be counted among the lawless to fulfill scripture. Turns out they have two and Jesus says it is enough. It is clearly not enough to defend themselves, but enough to fulfill scripture.

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will die by the sword. - Matthew 26:52

While Jesus does make sure they have swords; He condemns their use. No Jesus did not change His mind; He is making a point.  He could not condemn their use unless they had them. He could not disarm them unless they were armed. Think back to Genesis 22, God has Abraham go through the process of sacrificing Isaac only to stop him at the last second. God never intended Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, He was making a point. First, I think it is important to note that sacrificing your child to a god was a known practice to Abraham. It would not have sounded as crazy or evil to him as it does to us. It showed future generations that the God they worshiped did not approve of human sacrifice.

The use of violence to get our way is still very acceptable today, even by Christians, or by some that proclaim to be Christians. However, that is not the way of Jesus, He commands us to put down our weapons and to pick up our crosses. While there is a lot of violence in the Bible, there is none, absolutely none by the followers of Jesus. They are prosecuted, beaten, even killed but they refuse to use violence to fight back. Jesus never steps in with violence to save one of His followers. While His early disciples use miracles to heal, they never use miracles to save their own lives.

To believe in Jesus is to believe self-sacrificing love has defeated hate and violence. It was on full display on the cross and Jesus said to be His disciple we must pick up our crosses. I have heard growing rhetoric of violence in the Christian faith often stating that their faith calls them to violence, both individual violence as well as violence on a national level. This is a complete rejection of the self-sacrifice love Jesus showed on the cross and hence is not Christian at all. Being a Christian; we must disarm so we can take up our cross to show the Love Jeses lived and taught.  It is a Love that will change the world.