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… The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied. (Luke 22:36-38) On the night he was betrayed, Jesus commanded his disciples to buy swords. Do you know why? According to some discussion threads I’ve read, it was to show his support for gun ownership and relaxed gun controls in America! I do not wish to wade into the quagmire of the US gun debate (and I won’t publish comments that do), but I do want to talk about the scripture above. It’s a good question: Why did Jesus, the Prince of Peace, ask for swords? And why were two enough? Israel was a dangerous place for travelers. (Remember what happened to the traveler in the story of the Good Samaritan?) Yet on several occasions Jesus sent out his disciples without the usual travel essentials. They didn’t take money, extra clothes, or even a staff (see Matt 10:9-10). They certainly took no swords, yet God took care of them. Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you [...]![]()
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