So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.” – Luke 22:38
The apostles had found two swords among them for their defense. Two swords in the face of growing unrest towards Jesus. Two swords to protect a group of regular guys against Roman centurions and temple guards. Two swords to wield against trained military men. Two measly swords to keep twelve men secure. And Jesus said it was enough. In fact, two swords were more than adequate.
Two swords and a moneybag to protect them from the long days ahead. Days of furor, days of chaos, days when the people would deny their Messiah and favor a vicious murderer. Days when Jesus’ followers would become the objects of suspicion and ire. Two swords to keep them safe. But the apostles may have had other ideas.
The apostles had two swords at their disposal for their defense and Jesus seemed to approve of them. Perhaps a few of the men may have been a little proud to carry a couple of seemingly blessed swords with them. They may have had a swagger when they went to the garden with Jesus. Jesus wanted to pray and they would absolutely make certain He was by no means disturbed. After all, Jesus had told them to bring swords. And He said two would be enough! They could imagine the tales, stories to rival David and Goliath. They were ready to protect Jesus; His mighty warriors were ready to fight for their beloved Lord.
Instead, they fell asleep while He prayed. They snored while He sweated drops of blood. While they slept, Jesus prayed alone. And they awoke in time to see Christ arrested.
Peter frantically lashed out with the sword he held, eager to fulfill his duty and prepared to fight. He cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, ready and raring to defend and protect Christ. At that moment Peter believed that he could protect God. Instead, Jesus healed the man’s ear, told Peter to put the sword away and stepped calmly into the hands of the men arresting Him. Jesus did not need protection.
Many are the stories of impossible battles in the Old Testament as are the stories of bold witness of Jesus in the New Testament. And while the circumstances differ, the tales remain the same: every step taken outside of God’s command, every action taken in self confidence and personal strength ends in disaster. We are not God’s mighty warriors. He is our strength, He is our protector, our shield.
Courage in the Bible is a matter of surrender. Courage is the fruit that is born of faith. Courage in the Bible is not self-reliance. It is reliance on God and it is complete trust in both His love and His might.
Christ is both the humble Lamb of God slain and is the mighty Lord of Lords riding strong and resplendent upon a white steed, the King above all Kings crowned with many crowns. He is the Word of God made flesh. He is the commander of legions of angels. He does not require our help. He does not need our defense.
He instead seeks our devotion. He invites us to peace. He asks for our burdens because He alone can bear them. He asks us to confess our sin so that He can cleanse us. He is our joy. And He asks us to share that joy with all the earth: to tell the world that He paid the penalty for sin and that He conquered death. To tell all people that we are able to be reconciled to God because of His shed blood.
He does not ask that we defend Him. He commands us to make disciples of all men. He tells us to love one another. He tells us to love God with everything we have. And He gives us a sword. It is the Word of God, reminding us of who He is and showing us He is both faithful and loving. It is the best defense against all evil. He gives us just one double edged sword. And it is more than enough.
Written by Janet Keefe
