Sword and garment

 

Sword and garment

 

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. Also, Matthew, Mark, and John did not record this conversation, and only Luke gives us Jesus' final teachings. Jesus told his disciples to take care of their backpacks, purses, and swords, and the disciples responded, “Yes, I have two swords here.” So Jesus said, “Enough is enough.”Luke's record, consisting of four verses, ends.

In what sense did Jesus convey today’s message to his disciples? 『he said to them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.』These words are connected to what Jesus did at some point in the past when he sent his disciples out. It happened in Galilee, going back more than a year, and is recorded in Luke chapter 9 (Luke 9:1-6).

Jesus gathered his twelve disciples and gave them the power and authority to control all demons and heal diseases. Their mission was to spread the kingdom of God. They received the power of Jesus and were sent to each village in Galilee to preach. At that time, Jesus gave his disciples special instructions, which is what Jesus reminded them of in the upper room.

Jesus instructed, “Take nothing with you for the journey.” 『Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, nor money; He said, “neither have two coats apiece.” For no matter what house the disciples enter, those who welcome them will provide for their needs. If they did not receive him, the disciples shook the dust from his feet and left the house. If accepted, they stayed in the house and received hospitality and support. This was the people's reaction to Jesus at the time. There were some who rejected Jesus and did not accept his disciples, but on the other hand, there were some who accepted the Jesus they preached and accepted his disciples.

Jesus knew that there were people who would welcome and welcome him and his disciples. So, He told His disciples that there was no need to prepare walking sticks, backpacks, food, money, or extra clothes. Following Jesus' words, the disciples traveled to each village, preaching the gospel and healing the sick, expecting people to welcome them with joy. In the upper room, Jesus reminded his disciples of this and asked them: Jesus asked his disciples. “Did you lack anything at that time?” The disciples said, “No. There was none.』

Similar training was given to the seventy, who were also sent two by two to each town and region to heal the sick and spread the kingdom of God. ' At this time, Jesus told the seventy not to have purses, backpacks, or shoes. This was because, like the twelve disciples, whoever received them would stay in the house and eat and drink what was given (Luke 10:1-16).

Of course, it is not that there were no people who opposed the gospel during the trip. There were definitely some who did not accept it. Jesus told his disciples to “shake off the dust from the towns that reject them,” and that there would be a terrible judgment upon them. Anyone who welcomes the disciples welcomes Jesus, and whoever rejects them rejects Jesus.

He said that ultimately it would be abandoning God the Father who sent Jesus.There were people who did not accept and rejected Jesus Christ whom God sent. The disciples whom Jesus sent also experienced the same rejection. But at least at this time, there were people who accepted disciples. There were people who accepted Jesus. According to God's will, there were those who welcomed Jesus and his disciples and fully provided for their needs. So they did not need to prepare separate backpacks or bags.

Why did Jesus remind us of this? Now, “the thoughts of the people in the world with whom the disciples will deal” will change, and their reactions to Jesus will change.

『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,” distinguishing the times. There is something different from the past. In fact, the instructions given in the past have now changed. In the past, he told me not to have a purse, but now he told me not to have a purse. In the past, he told me not to have a backpack, but now he told me to have one. There was a special command about the sword, and he said that the sword was now absolutely necessary.

He told his disciples that if they did not have a sword, they should sell their clothes to buy one. In Jewish society at the time, outerwear was not just one of many garments that provided protection or warmth. For most ordinary Jews, outerwear was an important asset.

There were not many people who could afford multiple outerwear, and most people protected themselves with one set of outerwear and used it as a substitute for a blanket at night. Outerwear was their daily necessities. So, the law prohibited pawning one's outerwear. This is why it was more shocking to the Jews when Jesus spoke about those who steal one's outer garment (Luke 6:29). This is because depriving a person of his outer clothing is depriving him of the most basic necessities of life. However, in his final teachings to his disciples in the upper room, Jesus told them to buy a sword even if it means selling that precious daily necessity.

The point is that a knife is needed. The belt, backpack, and knife now all had to be prepared by the players themselves. This is because people’s reactions to Jesus and his disciples will be different from before. 『They said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.』 The reason why Jesus told us to prepare a knife along with a purse and backpack was because a knife is not only a weapon, but also a necessary tool for activities and a tool for cooking food.

 

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