I'll take two burgers, fries, and a sword........with extra mustard.......

Ok, done for the semester..........it's amazing how my affections for the Lord can be affected by how busy I am. It's not that I wasn't thinking of Him or spiritual things, it's just that I was doing so much over the last week or so that my heart wasn't set on Him in the way it should be. And honestly, I think procrastination and busyness can be major contributors to this (my issues were more related to the latter this semester--I wasn pretty on top of things). I pray that will change next semester.


There was discussion a while back of a passage in Luke 22:
35And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said, "Nothing." 36He said to them, "But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.' For what is written about me has its fulfillment." 38And they said, "Look, Lord, here are two swords." And he said to them, "It is enough."

It seems that this passage cannot be taken literally for a couple of reasons. Jesus is not telling the disciples to build up their collection of armaments. First, He had been preaching non-violence throughout His time on earth:

Matthew 5
21"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment;

Second, he condemns a disciple for using a sword a few verses later:

Luke 22
47While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48but Jesus said to him, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" 49And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" 50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him.

So if Jesus rebuked one of the twelve (one of the other gospels names Peter as the one with the sword) for taking Him literally, we should not make the same mistake.

Third, He says that two swords are enough (Lk. 22:38). Utterly rediculous! There is no way two swords are enough to fend off the number of folks that were to come upon them. So what does He mean? The reason given in the passage for this exchange is so that the scripture will be fulfilled that says, "And he was numbered with the trangressors." (Is. 53:12) My assumption, then, is that the possession of swords is part of the fulfillment of this word, as are the other instructions: take a moneybag and a knapsack.

So the only plausible explanation I can come up with is that the disciples were supposed to have the swords as a symbol of the fact that they were soon to be seen as transgressors among the people of Judea. Before this, they had been able to "depend on the kindness of strangers." (Said with a southern drawl--isn't that a quote from some old movie? See Luke 10) Now, they would have to fend for themselves a bit more.......not that God wouldn't provide for them, but they were now in very different circumstances. Since they were seen as criminals, as the scripture foretold, why shouldn't they have swords like criminals? They just weren't supposed to use them.

For starters.....

I guess I do't have much to say right now, but I hope to post my occasional thoughts on life, Jesus, and other things. Not until after finals, though......