Good morning, my friends!

Several of you have asked about the passage where Jesus tells his disciples to sell their cloaks and buys swords, so I wanted to look into that scripture with you today.

But first, here's a few things that have me thinking this week!

RECOMENDATIONS:

I just finished Dominique DeBois Gilliard's book called, "Subversive Witness: scripture's call to leverage privilege." He looks at Pharaoh's daughter, Esther, Paul and Silas, and many other biblical figures and skillfully explains how they responded to systemic injustice from their positions of privilege. It is a masterful book and one so needed in today's environment. It helped me to better understand how I might respond to the social issues in my local context and beyond. I highly recommend this book.

I am also currently in the middle of reading Erica Chenoweth's book "Why Civil Resistance Works." It is a brilliant sociological work that compares the "success" of violent political resistance to nonviolent resistance in our world today. The book ultimately finds that nonviolent resistance is always more successful and sustainable. It also sheds light on "how" groups can lead to sustained and lasting change in nonviolent ways. It's a thick read, but helpful.

Okay, onto the newsletter.

"If you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." -Jesus

Did Jesus really tell his disciples to sell their cloaks to buy swords?

Yes, but it’s not for the reasons we may think.

Growing up and pastoring in Idaho, guns have always been a central part of life for many here. I grew up target shooting with friends and family and eventually went through the training course required to obtain my concealed weapons license. After which, I carried for many years.

In a gun culture like Idaho, I hear Luke 22:36-38 cited often, not only as scriptural validation for the 2nd amendment, but also as a way of Jesus directly condoning the use of deadly force when necessary. With a recent poll conducted by the University of Maryland and published by the Washington post, which found that 1 in 3 Americans say that violence against the government can be justified, using Luke 22:36-38 in this way is increasingly problematic. (Poll: https://rb.gy/pvyc6o).

If you haven’t read Luke 22:36-38 recently, it reads “He (Jesus) 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. 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.” The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied. (NIV)

Now, when taken at face value, it would seem that condoning the use of deadly force might be exactly what Jesus is doing. However, it is very important to read this verse in context of not only the rest of the Bible, but also the rest of Christ’s life. Otherwise, we might find ourselves unwittingly dismissing the many, many times Jesus urged his followers to "turn the other cheek" and "not resist evil" when confronted by violence during his Sermon on the Mount and years of ministry.

Jesus is actually very clear in what he means by this command for his disciples to have swords on hand in Luke 22:36-38. It is the fulfillment of prophecy. As he quotes in this very passage, from Isaiah 53:9-12, it was prophesied that Jesus would be counted among the transgressors. His disciples having swords would fulfill this prophecy, as he would be seen by the political and religious authorities to be “among the rebels.” In response to this command, his disciples say, “see, Lord, here are two swords.” To which Jesus responds, “that’s enough!” Again, we must ask, “enough” for what? If it were to lead an uprising or protect themselves against the Roman army, two swords would certainly not be enough. That would be akin to a band of rebels bringing two AR-15s to a drone fight. However, two swords are certainly enough to fulfill the prophecy that he is among a band of brigands.

It is crucial then to understand that Jesus is consciously fulfilling prophecy here, otherwise this command to his disciples makes no sense. We must also remember that Peter draws one of the swords a few hours later at Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, slashing the ear of one of the priests' servants named Malchus, and Jesus rebukes Peter by saying: “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52)

While we are pondering Old Testament prophecy here, I also think it is important to consider the prophecies made by Isaiah (2:4); and Micah (4:3), where they both prophecy about swords and spears being beaten into gardening tools (plows and pruning hooks) under the reign of the one true king and no one will learn how to make war anymore. I don’t think it is coincidental that Jesus says, while standing in a garden that “those who draw the sword will die by the sword.” For the citizens of his kingdom will draw their garden tools instead, by which all may live.

Taking this context into consideration really helps us to understand Christ’s words in Luke 22:36-38 as they were intended. This is not to debate the morality or theology of self defense. That is a different post for a different time. This is all to say that Luke 22:36-38, and I would argue all of Christ’s years of ministry, cannot be used to justify the use of deadly violence in the name of Jesus.

I have long believed that the greatest threat to the witness of the church in the world is not secularism, pluralism, or even the loss of religious liberties. Rather, it has always been Christians who claim to worship a nonviolent teacher from Nazareth who then turn and use violence in his name to enforce and preserve their own power. It was true when Peter drew his sword in the garden, it was true when Emperor Constantine committed the heresy of Christian empire by declaring Christianity as the national religion of Rome, and it is still true today. We who call ourselves Christians, in such politically polarized times such as these, we must always be suspect of any attempts to justify lethal violence in the name of Jesus, especially when our most sacred texts are used to do so.

I will leave you with how Motyer, Stibbs, and Wiseman in the New Bible Commentary conclude their reading of this passage: Revised Third Edition (1977) describe Luke 22:36-38: “Finally, Jesus spoke of the new situation. Formerly, when the Disciples had gone out, on mission, they had not lacked anything. Now they would need a purse, a bag and even a sword. The saying is heavily ironical, for Jesus knew that now He would have to face universal opposition and be put to death. But the disciples misunderstood Him and produced weapons. 'That is enough', said Jesus to end a conversation which they had failed to understand. The way of Jesus, as they should have known, was not the way of the sword, but the way of love.”

Thank you so much for reading. I hope you have a wonderful day and I look forward to talking with you.

-Ben