For the things concerning Me have an end

 

 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, 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 king 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."  In the first verse in today's reading, when Jesus says, "Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat," this you is plural, an indication that Satan has asked for all the disciples.  But in the next verse ("But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren"), the you is singular here, which indicates that Jesus prayed particularly for Simon Peter.  My study Bible comments that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.   Regarding Jesus' word to Peter, "When you have returned to Me,"  See John 21:15-17.  My study Bible says that Jesus' command "strengthen your brethren" refers not simply to the other disciples, but to all the faithful until He returns.  

 

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 word sword (in "he who has no sword") is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 49-51, which will be in this Monday's reading).  Here "sword" refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  Also, my study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose, who adds an additional meaning.  He says that giving up one's garment and buying a sword is a reference to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking of swords literally, Jesus abruptly ends the discussion with the words, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that this phrase is better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41). 

Jesus asks the disciples, "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 thing concerning Me have an end."  In His question, we can see that Jesus is preparing the disciples for the time to come, as He is about to be betrayed and given over to the Romans.  He has said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5).  But this Light is not going to be with the disciples as the human Jesus for very much longer.  Now they will need to care for themselves in a different way, He's saying to them. They will need to prepare for a different time in the world when He is no longer with them and guiding them as His disciples in the same way.  Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah 53:12, and so indicating what end will be fulfilled in Him.  He has also taught them, "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" (John 15:20).  What is coming for Jesus will be the beginning of persecutions for those who follow Him.  Therefore Jesus is now preparing the ones who follow Him, His disciples, for the time that is at hand, and how they will have to live in the world without Him in the flesh.  There is a great component revealed earlier, when Jesus addressed St. Peter, saying, "Simon, Simon!  Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat."  As indicated above, this "you" is plural, meaning that although Jesus addresses Simon (and with a double exclamation of his name, so truly grabbing his attention), He does so as Simon Peter so often represents and speaks for all of the disciples.  With the coming of the Cross, the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah, Satan seeks to sift them all as wheat.  But it is Simon whom Jesus also calls upon -- despite his coming denial of Christ -- to return and to strengthen the brethren in this new period of difficulties and persecution that is coming. Many have noted that the Old Testament verse which is most frequently quoted in the New Testament is Psalm 110:1, "The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."  Jesus quotes this verse when He poses a kind of riddle to the religious leaders in the temple (see last Friday's reading).  This verse is important because it leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Messiah is both human (a son of David) and God (the only One whom King David would call "My Lord").  Yet we must go to the verse that follows to understand something important about the time for which Jesus is preparing the disciples as He is about to go to betrayal and the Cross.  "The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!" (Psalm 110:2).  To rule in the midst of one's enemies is a strange condition indeed.  How does a King do this?  Well, if the "LORD" (God the Father) is addressing King David's "Lord," the Son and Messiah, then what is being said is that Christ will rule by His rod of strength out of Zion, even in the midst of His enemies in this world.  We know who Christ is, and that He came into the world to depose the devil, Satan, the "prince of this world."  But clearly, Christ rules in the midst of His enemies, for the time in which we live now is the same era for which Christ is preparing the disciples.  It remains a period in which we know the Kingdom, and the King, and we also know that the Spirit of God is at work in the world.  But at the same time, we are aware that this is a time of spiritual battle, even of persecutions and hatred.  St. John writes in his first Epistle, "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world" (1 John 4:2-3).  The spirit of the Antichrist remains in the world, and so Christ "rules in the midst of His enemies."  And this is the state in which we find ourselves in the Church.  Just as Christ warns the disciples, this is the period in which we live, and so we should not be surprised to find adversities of any and various kinds, even frightful news about horrific militias, betrayals, and those who would seek even to call themselves Christian even as they support such fearsome forces at work against Christian communities.  Let us consider, at this time, that Christ nonetheless continues to rule in the midst of His enemies, and that He has commanded us simply to endure as the faithful.  Like St. Peter, we must be prepared to be called on to strengthen our brothers and sisters who are persecuted, even as there are Christ's disciples whom Satan still desires to sift as wheat.  It is our faith that is our greatest weapon of strength, and for this Christ has prayed.  Let us remember to follow Him as He said, and endure in that faith as our true weapon given by God, the living word by which we live (Hebrews 4:12).