Matt Leasher

THE TWO SWORDS

By Matt Leasher

And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.” Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

(Luke 22:35-38) NKJV

Lately there has been a large uprising in violent and threatening protests against our government and their officials from anti-government groups. One of the biggest being from a Christian militia group called “Hutaree”. According to their website they use the verse from Luke 22:36-38 as their call to arms. Claiming that this verse is proof that Jesus Christ commands us to defend ourselves with “the sword” in His name. This is a prime example of a verse being taken out of context and used to propel man’s desire to war against his enemies.

First lets observe what is really going on in this verse. Given everything Jesus says throughout His ministry about loving enemies, doing good to them, turning the other cheek, and so on, it’s clear that, whatever Jesus was up to in telling his followers to buy swords, he clearly didn’t intend for them to use them. A close look at the passage reveals Jesus’ purpose. Immediately after telling them to buy a sword (Lk 22:36) Jesus says, “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.”(vs. 37). Jesus was quoting the words of Isaiah from Isaiah 53:12 concerning Himself. To fulfill prophecy, Jesus had to be viewed as a transgressor. He had to at least appear to be a political revolutionary to the Jewish authorities for them to feel justified in arresting him. This is why, in the next verse, when the disciples say they have two swords, Jesus says “That is enough.” (vs. 38). Obviously, if Jesus ever intended for the disciples to use the swords, two wouldn’t be nearly enough. But it’s enough to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah by making Jesus look like a transgressor.

Shortly after when Jesus was being arrested in the garden Peter used the sword to cut off one of the guard’s ear, Jesus rebuked him and then demonstrated the kind of power the Kingdom of God uses to advance its cause by healing the guards ear. Jesus was showing an act of love directly to one of those that were against Him and in the process of taking Him away to be beaten and crucified. The gospel doesn’t tell us, but we have to wonder what must have went through the mind of this person, who was a servant of the high priest, after Jesus healed his ear.

Jesus then told Peter, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” It is quite clear that Jesus did not need to arm His disciples with swords for His protection or His cause. Later when Jesus appeared before Pilate and was asked if He was the King of the Jews, Jesus responded that His kingdom is not of this world, and he points to the fact that his followers are not fighting as proof of this fact (John 18:36). So, a distinguishing characteristic that a person belongs to Jesus’ Kingdom is that they refuse to fight against their enemies. They rather pray for their healing and share with them the gospel of Christ.

My friends, nowhere throughout the gospels does Jesus condone the use of the sword or even the use of violence for that matter. The use of violence against our adversaries does not advance the Kingdom of God. If anything it does more to advance the system of Satan. Jesus told us we are to love our enemies and we do that by giving them the gospel. The gospel has more power to it than any violent threat or protest does. If our Lord does not wish to see any of His children perish then we shouldn’t either. There are many lost souls out there that just haven’t heard or don’t know the message of the gospel and it is up to us Christians, as ambassadors of Christ, to relay it to them. Granted, there are some who have heard it but reject it. We are not to judge them but pray for them and leave judgment in God’s hands. As ambassadors of Christ we are therefore representatives of Him. An armed militia, with intent to kill and claiming to be Christians are not representatives of Christ! The only sword that we should be taking up is the Word of God as Ephesians 6:17 describes that as being part of our Godly armor. Let the Word be your sword!

I’ll admit that the course that our government is directing our country is not in God’s favor and the more and more this administration turns their backs on Israel the sooner we are going to lose God’s blessings, but we must find peace in knowing that the Lord is still on the throne and always in control and that we who are in Christ are a nation of our own no matter where we are, (1 Peter 2:9), and our Lord Jesus Christ is coming for us soon!