Thursday, December 7, 2006

thirteen eat dinner, two swords are taken, and one messy ear is mended




So my sister and I were talking about a passage that was used for a sermon she heard this past week. The passage used was Luke 22:35-38 . But to really get a grasp on what is going on you probably need to read Luke 22:7-53 - This section includes that last supper, Jesus going to the mount of olives, and his arrest.


Apparently the sermon focused on v. 38 and the point was made that "there are times when we as Christians need to be ready to fight"




I Never had heard that passage focus on the taking of the swords. Very interesting. I had some personal thoughts, but first I looked up in a commentary what they interpreted this passage to mean so: here it is- it's taken fom


The College Press NIV Commentary Series: Luke by Mark C. Black (pages 358-359)

verses 35 - 37


"These verses present yet one more account found only in Luke which is a challenge for interpreters. Having spoken of the time of sifting which will soon arrice, Jesus teaches that the time will be difficult even for those who maintain their faith. He begins by reminding them of thier "limited commission" in which they succsessfully preached and healed in Galilee and were well received (luke 9:1-10). Even thought they went without purse, bag, or sandals, they did not lack anything. That is, all their needs were supplied by those to whom they preached. Those days are now over, Jesus implies. He tells them that they will now need to take money (purse) and extra provisions (bag). He even tells them to sell one of their most important possessions, their cloak, and buy a sword if they do not already own one. The reason is that Jesus and therefore his followers are going to be viewed as criminals (transgressors). This must be, because it is written in Isaiah 53:12. This is the earliest clear indication that Jesus saw his role in terms of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. The early church will utilize this text often in its preaching about a rejected and slain Messiah (for example, Acts 8:32-33).


Verse 38


The disciples take Jesus literally with reference to the swords and are able to produce two swords from amon their belongings. When they show them to Jesus, he ends the conversatino abruptly when he says, "That is enough." He cannot mean that two swords are enought to fight off the soldiers which with their enemies will have behind them. He must mean, "that is enough of this nonsense." He did not intend to be taken literally as verses 49-51 will demonstrate. The disciple once again show their fundamental lack of understanding."


my thoughts - (disclaimer: I am not a "scholar")

I agree with the comentary on this being a shifting point in the way that Jesus and his disciples will be viewed. It is no longer going to be an easy road, In this same passage Jesus has made clear he will be killed and worse yet, one of the men in the room will betray him. Even though the disciples don't get it; it is plain to see that he is trying to prepare them for the the tough part of this journey.

another personal thought . . .


I have to be confident that Jesus knew what was going to happen after passover. he knew about his betrayal so he would know about his arrest, and how the whole thing would go down.
If he hadn't mentioned the swords I doubt they would have taken them to the Mount of Olives, jesus set it up. And if you notice during his arrest it is peter who uses the sword to fight the men coming to arrest Jesus, and just earlier Jesus "goaded" peter saying that he would betray him. If I am peter and Jesus is telling me this I am going to do everything I can to show him that it is not true.


It is almost as if jesus sets the whole arrest scene up, while he is having the last supper. His final point before he is taken into custody is this "
"Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 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"


The charges brought against Jesus was that he was a rebellious leader, trying to overthrow the roman government and usurp its authority in Judea. Jesus makes it clear by healing the man at his arrest. It is clear that HE IS SUPERNATURAL, and it is clear that he has not come to overthrow the government, but rather to overthrow darkness.

It is interesting that he says "darkness reigns" in this hour . . . because as we look back on Jesus we see that he has crafted this event, and that his father has planned and prepared for the "fullness of time" for the event to take place. I don't know how darkness reigns when God is in total controll." It is like Jesus is playing the game letting evil think it has won.

That reminds me of the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe; when the witch thinks she has killed aslan with deep magic...but aslan comes back from the dead and he says "there is deeper magic at work"


....just some of my thoughts what do you think about them ?

-Dev

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