Lord, behold, here are two swords
(Luke 22:35-38)
And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.
This is the last conversation Jesus had with his disciples in the upper room: “And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. ' Also, Matthew, Mark, and John did not record this conversation, only Luke tells us the last lesson of Jesus' upper room. Jesus told his disciples to take good care of their backpacks, troops, and swords, and they replied, yes, there are two swords here. So Jesus says that it is enough and ends Luke's record of four verses.
In what sense did Jesus really speak to his disciples? 『And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. 』These words are related to what Jesus did while sending his disciples at some point in the past. That happened in Galilee, dating back more than a year, and is recorded in Luke 9 (Luke 9:1-6).
Jesus summoned the twelve disciples and gave them the power and authority to control and heal all demons. Their mission was to preach the kingdom of God. They received the power of Jesus and sent them to each village in Galilee to preach. At that time, Jesus gave special instructions to his disciples, and this is what Jesus remembered in the upper room. Jesus instructed, "Take nothing to travel."
『Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 』 Because no matter which house they enter, those who receive them will supply their needs. If they do not accept, the disciples dust off their feet and leave the house. If they did, they stayed in the house and received hospitality and support. This was the reaction of people to Jesus at the time. There were some who rejected Jesus and did not accept the disciples, but on the contrary, others accepted the Jesus they preached and accepted the disciples.
Jesus knew that there were some who would welcome and welcome Jesus and his disciples. That is why he told his disciples that they did not need to bring a cane, backpack, food, money, or extra clothes. The disciples went all over the villages, preaching the gospel, and healing diseases, expecting those who would receive them with joy according to the words of Jesus. In the upper room, Jesus asked his disciples to remind them of it. "Is there anything missing at that time?" The disciples said, “No. Similar training was given to the Seventy, and Jesus also sent them to towns and regions, two by one, to heal the sick and to preach the kingdom of God. At this time, he also said not to have a squadron, backpack, or shoes because, like the twelve disciples, anyone would stay in the house that received them and eat and drink what they give (Luke 10:1-16).
Of course, there were people who did not accept it. Jesus told them to remove the dust from the towns that rejected them, and he said there would be a terrible judgment on them. He said that the one who accepts the disciples will receive Jesus, the one who forsakes them will betray Jesus, and ultimately, the Father who sent Jesus, will betrayed. There were some who refused to accept Jesus Christ, the one sent by God. The disciples whom Jesus sent to preach themselves experienced the same rejection. But at least this time, there were some who accepted the disciples. There were people who accepted Jesus. There were some who received Jesus and his disciples according to God's will, and fully provided for their needs. So they didn't have to prepare a backpack or a squadron separately.
Why did Jesus remind you of this? He did so for the very next statement. This is because the world in which the disciples will face is now different. Because the reaction to Jesus will be different. He said, "Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 』Jesus said, "Now," in different times. There is something different from the past. Indeed, what Jesus directed his disciples in the past has now changed. In the past, he told his disciples not to have a squadron, but now he said "have a squadron," and in the past he told his disciples not to have a backpack, but now he said, "Take a backpack." There is a special order for the sword, but now he said that the sword is absolutely necessary. If they did not have a sword, he told them to sell their outer garments and buy them. In Jewish society at the time, outer clothing was not just one of the many clothing that protected or warmed the body. For most ordinary Jews, outer clothing was an important asset.
There weren't many people who could have multiple coats, and most of them used one coat to protect themselves, and at night they used it as a substitute for blankets, and outer clothes were a necessity for them. That is why the law banned the mortgage of outer clothing. When Jesus speaks of “the one who takes the cloak”, this is why it came more shockingly to the Jews (Luke 6:29). This is because it robs the person of the most basic necessities. However, Jesus taught his disciples the last time in the upper room and told them to buy swords even by selling those precious necessities.
It is time to need a knife. The disciples had to prepare their own troops, backpacks, and swords. Because people's reactions to Jesus and his disciples will be different from before. "And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. 』The reason Jesus told us to prepare a sword along with a squadron and a backpack was because a sword is a tool to defend against scary animals, but it is a tool that is necessary for activities and a tool to make food yourself.
Jesus healed the sick, preached the gospel to the poor, fed the hungry, and cared for orphans and widows. But do the Jews try to kill Jesus? Jesus chose a poor life to make others rich, so he had no place to put his head on his sacrificial service. Why would they try to crown him with a crown of thorns? Why would they redeem, beat, spit, and mock Jesus in humility and meekness? Why do they try to kill Jesus, who loved them until he died? Jesus said, "This reaction is not strange." Rather, he says it is according to Heavenly Father's planned will: ``For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. 』
Jesus told his disciples, quoting Isaiah 53:12, "This very word will come true to me." Isaiah 53:12 says Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Subsequently, Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about God's chosen servant, and tells us that God's chosen servant will take over the sins of the people and be sacrificed. 『But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 』(Isaiah 53:5)
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