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.

 

Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness

 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are one of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

- Luke 22:52-62

On Saturday, we read that left the Last Supper and He went to the Mount of Olives to stay the night, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, he found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.

 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."  Jesus makes it clear what "darkness" is.  He's openly taught in the temple, but they need to seize Him in secret, by night, with weapons, as if He's a robber or another kind of criminal.  My study bible cites John 3:19-21 here in reference to darkness:  "This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” 

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."   My study bible says that a girl being the first to test Peter gives us a kind of type or icon of Eve tempting Adam (Genesis 3:6).  It's a picture of our fallen state -- which is overcome as women are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  It is quite a humiliation for Peter that his denial comes in the face of a servant girl.

And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are one of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.   My study bible says that Peter is so overcome with fear that neither Christ's prediction (see Saturday's reading, above) nor the crowing of the rooster calls him to repentance.  Only the gaze of the Lord causes him to come to his senses and weep bitterly.  But, to quote Ambrose of Milan, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

There is one thing consistent that we read about Peter all throughout the Gospels:  he's got his heart on his sleeve.  Whatever he's thinking or feeling, we know about it.  It tells us both about his exuberance -- and his honesty.  Peter is not a person to keep something hidden.  This one time he does something "in darkness," away from his companions, while Christ is inside, he comes to his senses and to understand what he's done with one glance from Christ.  His response is bitter tears for his betrayal and failure.   It's important that we pay attention to the commentary of St. Ambrose, that tears can wash away what it's shameful to confess.   But there is something that we learn about Peter that is related to a purity of heart:  his constant sincerity.  That's the good ground for faith.   He can't hide his Galilean accent, and he can't hide from who he is.  Christ has warned him that he would deny Him three times.  But we remember Jesus' words to Peter:  that the "darkness" is after all of them. He 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."  The really important thing here is that Peter should return to Christ, and to strengthen His brethren -- his brothers and sisters in Christ.  He lives in a community, and He's an extraordinary member of that community.  None of us is isolated from the whole, in the sense that even our prayers strengthen the faith of others; each may bring the light of grace more deeply and potently into the world.  We remember Peter's sincerity; he fails but he repents.  He will return to Christ and to the brothers and sisters he will strengthen.  Let it be a vivid reminder for all of us of the possibilities we have in Christ and in the love of Christ.  Let us remember Peter's failure in our own times of temptation, as well of his success in the love of God and the strength of faith.