Mark 14.47,
Matthew 26.51-54,
Luke 22.49-51,
John 18.10-11.
After sundown Thursday, Jesus and his students had a
Luke 22.35-38 KWL - 35 Jesus tells them, “When I sent you out
- without a wallet, bag, or extra sandals,
- you didn’t lack anything, did you?
- They tell him, “Nothing.”
- 36 Jesus tells them, “But now:
- Those who have a wallet, take it. Your bag too.
- Those who don’t have one: Sell your coat and buy a machete.
- 37 For I tell you this scripture has to be fulfilled in me:
- ‘He was counted among the lawless.’
Is 53.12 - For the scriptures about me have an endpoint.”
- 38 The students say, “Master, look!—two machetes here.”
- Jesus tells them, “That’s plenty.”
This passage confuses people—usually because of the way it’s typically translated.
Luke 22.36, 38 NIV - 36 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.” […]
- 38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
- “That’s enough!” he replied.
Typically the way Christians interpret it is Jesus (for whatever their favorite reasons might be) told ’em to sell their coats and buy swords—but he meant it metaphorically. He was telling ’em
I won’t get into all the possible interpretations of what Jesus’s “metaphor” supposedly is. Because Jesus wasn’t speaking metaphorically. He really did want his students to go get themselves machetes. Because there’s a big difference between the purpose of a machete and a sword. A machete is a work knife. Not a Roman gladius, a double-sided short sword. This is a
Despite what
So when Jesus tells ’em to sell their coats and buy machetes, he’s properly telling them to give up their comforts and get tools. It’s time to get to work and help him build
But of course if you’re an ivory-tower revolutionary and haven’t worked with your hands in years, y’might miss that little nuance of reality. And think Jesus really is talking about swords—but not really talking about swords, because God’s kingdom doesn’t come through violent human revolutions, right? I mean, most of us get this… even though Jesus’s students clearly didn’t.
Got all that? Now let’s jump forward a few hours to when Jesus got arrested… where, it turns out, Simon Peter had taken one of those two machetes with him.