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

 

 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 

 

Yesterday we read that when the hour had come to eat their Passover, Jesus 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."  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."   My study Bible tells us that the form of you is plural here (in "Satan has asked for you"), indicating that Satan has asked for all of the disciples.  But the you in "I have prayed for you" is singular, indicating that Jesus prayed especially for Simon Peter.  My study Bible remarks that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.  This we can see by the words "when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."   Strengthen your brethren refers not just to the other disciples, but to all the faithful until Christ returns.  See John 21:15-17.

 

 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."  My study Bible comments that the sword (in "he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one") is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 22:49-51), but rather it refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  St. Ambrose adds another meaning in his commentary:  that to give up one's garment and buy a sword is a reference to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking of swords literally, Jesus ends the discussion with an abrupt, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that this phrase is better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41).  Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah 53:12.

 

 It is in this time of betrayal, which Jesus warned about in yesterday's reading (see above), that Jesus teaches the disciples, "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." The time of His public ministry has effectively reached the end, and it is an end that is prophesied by Isaiah, "He was numbered with the transgressors."  Jesus is going to be characterized as a criminal and put to death.  But this warning to the disciples is a warning that they must now take heed in ways that they did not before.  They must prepare for persecution, for this is the beginning of the "end times" which Jesus has recently prophesied to them Himself (see the readings from Luke 21:5-36).   The persecutions which He foretold for the Church begin with Him, and so His warning about being prepared for long travel (with a money bag and knapsack), and taking the sword as in going into battle, become the context of the future missions for these apostles.  Their lives, and the life of the Church, will not be the same.  The sword, of course, is that spiritual sword of truth which my study Bible reminds us is the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  These are the preparations for the mission of the future, after Christ's Ascension, when the Church begins its life and ever-expanding mission in the world.  Therefore, if we as Christ's followers find that in some ways our lives also bear the hallmarks of needing to be prepared for our own missions as faithful, waging our own spiritual battles, clinging firmly to a truth for which we may face difficulties and persecutions, then we should not be surprised that our lives might be characterized that way.  For, as we quoted from Jesus in yesterday's reading and commentary, "a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master" (Matthew 10:24).  In keeping with the literal travels these apostles would make across the world to spread the gospel and found the Church, we read in Christ's language the language of travel, and in particular, of the road.  In this context, let us consider Christ's words, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).  For the word translated as "way" into English is one commonly used in Greek for "road."  We take up money bag and knapsack, and that sword of the gospel message and His truth not simply to go out and make converts in the world, but rather so that we live as He has taught us is our nature as His followers and those who participate in His community and call ourselves by His name, as "Christians."  For this is really the life He teaches us, that our sword is the sword of His truth, our treasure is that which anchors the Kingdom in this world, our knapsack is what we take with us so that we remember that ultimately we belong to Him and not to the world.  If we can remember where our true treasure is, and upon whom we ultimately rely for the truly blessed life, then we are following Him as He has asked, and we are remembering who we are and what we need to be about.  When the road gets tough, when we are not accepted, or when we struggle with our own beliefs and choices in a confusing and conflicted world, then we should remember precisely these words that He teaches, and expect that this is what He taught us our lives would be like as His followers.  For we "work out our salvation" as we go along His road, and that challenge is always with us.  Let us remember the light we are to follow as we come closer to the commemoration of His birth.