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.
Defending our Lord, violently.
Mark 14.47 KWL - One of the bystanders, pulling out a machete,
- strikes the head priest’s slave, and cuts his ear off.
Christians have traditionally claimed Mark, because he later worked with Simon Peter, must’ve got all the information for his gospel from Peter himself. If this is true (and it might be; I won’t rule it out), I doubt Peter would’ve lied about himself and said “Um… er… it was some bystander.” He did after all confess he denied Jesus.
Matthew and Luke identify the perp as one of Jesus’s followers. And John positively ID’s him as Peter—as well as giving us the victim’s name, Malchus. (Malchus is a Roman form of the Hebrew name Melekh.)
John 18.10-11 KWL - 10 Simon Peter, having a machete,
- draws it and strikes the head priest’s slave;
- he slices off his right ear. The slave’s name is Malchus.
- 11 So Jesus tells Peter, “Sheath your machete.
- This is the cup the Father gave me. Shouldn’t I drink it?”
Luke says Jesus not only ordered Peter to stop, but immediately healed Malchus.
Luke 22.49-51 KWL - 49 Seeing what those round them intended to do,
- the students says, “Master, should we strike with a machete?”
- 50 One hits a certain one of them—the head priest’s slave—
- and cuts his right ear off.
- 51 In response Jesus says, “Stop this now!”
- and touching the ear, Jesus cures him.
Various bibles deliberately have Jesus’s “That’s enough!” in verse 51, match Jesus’s “That’s enough!” in verse 38, where Jesus supposedly tells his kids to stop it with the swordplay. Jesus doesn’t even use the same Greek words, though. In verse 38 it’s not a command; it’s a statement,
Matthew includes Jesus’s “live by the sword, die by the sword” speech, and reminds us Jesus is in full control of this situation.
Matthew 26.51-54 KWL - 51 Look, one of those with Jesus stretches out his hand,
- draws his machete,
- and striking the head priest’s slave,
- cuts off his ear.
- 52 Then Jesus tells him, “Put your machete back in its place!
- For everyone who chooses arms
- will be destroyed by arms.
- 53 Or do you think I can’t call out to my Father,
- and he will give me, right now,
- more than 12 legions of angels?
- 54 But then how might the scriptures be fulfilled?
- So this has to happen.”
Contrary to popular belief—well, stretching and mutilating the scriptures—Jesus doesn’t condone violence. Violence begets violence, and while we may think we’re doling out righteous justice, we’re simply giving our enemies the excuse they desire to smite us back.
At the same time, Jesus pointed out the Father had authorized him to put a stop to everything if he saw fit. Let that idea sink in. At any time Jesus could call down “more than 12 legions of angels,”
The reason I figure this incident is worthy of its own
