Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."

And He said to them, When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them; "It is enough."

- Luke 22:31-38

In yesterday's reading, we read about the Last Supper.  It is the time in Jerusalem before Jesus' betrayal and arrest.  Jesus has had the Passover prepared for Himself and His disciples.  When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves, for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors.  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

   
And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  My study bible notes, "Jesus sees Simon Peter's denial [see later verses] as a violent attack by Satan, which Peter endures through Jesus' intercessory prayer.  After his tearful repentance and the experience of the resurrection, Peter indeed returned to Christ and was able to strengthen the early Church as one of its leaders."  What's interesting is that we have just read about Judas' betrayal of Jesus, that Satan "entered" Judas.  It is times of vulnerability we must be aware of, times of fear, anger, deep anxiety.  Judas, even after betraying Him, could still at this point return to His Lord or the apostles.  There is a continuum to this process of perdition and vulnerability.  Peter does return after his own denial.  Of great importance is Jesus' opportunity for salvation in counterpoint to the actions of Satan, and that is in prayer.  Jesus teaches us here the power of prayer, how it can act as intercession, and spreads its mercy as help to others.

But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."   Peter's confidence gives us all a lesson about ourselves.  Our own resolution may not be enough to strengthen us against the snares of our own emotions and vulnerabilities.  Faith and prayer are necessary as elements of conducting our lives with the mercy of grace and the strength it gives to help us when we go through difficulties.  Even with Christ's explicit warning of what is to happen, Peter inadvertently falls into the snare of denial.  Overconfidence in our own capacities can also be a type of temptation, a paradoxical warning of vulnerability.

And He said to them, When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one."   My study bible says, "In view of the coming death of Christ and the persecutions against the disciples, Jesus instructs them to be ready for anything.  The sword suggests resistance against the evil one  (Ephesians 6:17)." 

For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  My study bible notes, "The transgressors were the two criminals crucified with Jesus.  Have an end means come to fulfillment."  Jesus has warned the disciples already, and will do so again, that persecution will be fierce in the times to come.  In John's gospel, Jesus teaches:  "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me" (John 15:20-21).   It's also important to note that Jesus' public ministry has a distinct beginning and end, a fulfillment of all He was to do in His Incarnation.

So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them; "It is enough."  My study bible has an interesting note:  "It is enough does not signify approval.  The expression, according to most interpreters, is either ironical -- two swords would hardly suffice as a means of defense -- or an abrupt censure by Jesus, meaning, 'Enough of this!'"  To the ears of a modern Greek listener, such a phrase is akin to "That's enough!" meaning to put a stop to the discussion.

Jesus' greatest time of trial is here, at the door.  On the threshold of His Passion, He instructs the disciples for what is to come.  He warns Peter of the snare set for him, that Satan is after him -- and warns him explicitly of the denial he will enact.  But the alternative, the real sword of battle, is Jesus' prayer for Peter, and this is what saves him and keeps him in the flock.  He will grow, of course, to become a great and courageous leader of the Apostles with the help of the Spirit, after the Resurrection.  In Peter's weakness and vulnerability, he is still relied on by Christ to return and strengthen his brethren.  What we see in the dynamics of this scene is a powerful force for teaching us how to go through our own greatest trials.  We may be vulnerable and weak, we may have overconfidence in our own strengths and ambitions, but prayer is what sets us most securely on the right course.  It is prayer to which Jesus resorts as weapon, the great sword that truly cuts through all things, and not the weaponry that is at hand.  This is not the way, not His way, not in this circumstance.  All things are in the hands of God; but, as He has warned, "woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  We see put in motion times of great trial, of persecution, of evil.  The greatest trial is yet to come, but as Jesus has said, the servant is not greater than the master.  We should all be prepared for our own trials, and to go through them the way that Jesus does, with prayer and with faith.  Knowing our human vulnerabilities and frailties, we go in armed with the Spirit, the one that will give us "a mouth and wisdom" with which to testify.  No matter what we do, it is prayer that gets us through, with Spirit and our Advocate at our side who comes when we call, and who gives us strength and faith.  Through prayer, Jesus instructs, we can also do the same for others, to call true assistance to help them in times of struggle.  Jesus faces His trial with courage and wisdom, in loving care to His apostles and disciples.  Can we follow His courage, and use His weapons of prayer and faith?