Luke 22:24-53
Be Still: Lord, quiet the noise within me that I may hear Your voice. Amen
Read: Luke 22: 24-53
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.' (vv 22:36) … When Jesus’ followers saw what would happen, they said, 'Lord, should we strike with our swords?' And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, 'No more of this!' And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. (vv 49-51)
Encounter: Have you ever found Jesus profoundly confusing and wished that he would speak with clarity? Perhaps even in an audible voice? Wouldn’t that make following him so much easier?
In verse 36 of today's reading, Jesus told the disciples they needed to buy swords, and they inform him they have two. 'That's enough,' he says. Then, comes a moment (v 49) when a sword might be handy. Roman soldiers arrive to arrest Jesus, and a disciple springs into action, (John tells us it was Peter - no surprise there!) slicing off a soldier’s ear in the process. How brave and loyal of Peter to rise to Jesus' defence!
Jesus, however, doesn’t commend him; he rebukes Peter and heals the soldier's ear.
So here’s my question for Jesus: sword or no sword, which is it?
Verse 36 takes place in the upper room, and verse 49 in the Garden of Gethsemane. It takes 20 seconds to read from one scene to the other; however, in real time, that is a four-mile walk, and John records some of the extensive teachings Jesus offered en route (John chs14 -18). He speaks about the Holy Spirit, how he will remind them of Jesus' words, teaching them all things (14:26) and leading them into truth (16:13).
The Spirit is not given until Acts 2, and so when Peter wields his sword in Gethsemane, he is interpreting and acting on the words of Jesus without the Holy Spirit, and, as a result, he hurts someone.
There's an important principle for us: It’s not enough to have heard Jesus; you have to understand him, and it’s his Spirit that brings understanding. The word without the Spirit leads to misinterpretation, and misinterpretation leads to misapplication, and misapplication leads to mistreatment of God's children. I can be guilty of this today!
I’m grateful that Jesus can heal what we hurt, but if we lean into his Spirit to help us understand his word, we may avoid doing damage in the first place.
Apply: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any scripture you have misinterpreted and invite his correction.
Devote: Holy Spirit lead me into truth.