Putting the Sword Away
Matthew 26:50b-54, NIV - Then the men stepped
forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out
and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him,
“for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and
he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be
fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
“For those who draw the sword will
die by the sword.” This saying of Jesus
is straightforward enough. If you are
violent, you draw violence to yourself.
Jesus chides his followers for resisting his arrest with violence. The Jesus answer to injustice is not a
physical weapon. He expands upon this
point by reminding all who were there that if force were the appropriate
response, he could call upon an undefeatable army of angels. He has chosen not to do that because that is
not the way of the Kingdom.
I believe this is a timely word for
us today – not because we don’t already know this, but because it is so easy to
forget in the elevated rhetorical temperature that has spread through every
form of media these days. Legal battles,
threats of violence, and hate speech all seem like a normal day in our culture
right now. I have to admit that I have
metaphorically reached for my sword a couple of times in the past week. It is so easy to get caught up in the moment
and throw ourselves into the fray.
But Jesus reminds us that is not
who we are. We are people who turn down
the thermostat. We are the people of
nonviolence. We can be outraged by
injustice, but we are the people who continue to love all while we confront the
injustice. We can feel hurt by what
others say, but we are the people who refuse to resort to hurting others in
response. We are the ones who show
others there is a “more excellent way.” (1 Corinthians 12:31) We love when others hate. We serve when others take. We are kind and gentle when others are harsh
and profane. We show authentic joy and
peace in the face of sarcasm and ridicule.
This is the way we live because this is the way we want to die instead
of by the sword.
Remember who you are and put the
sword away.
Prayer: God help us
beat our swords into plowshares so that we may sow the real seeds of your
Kingdom. Amen
Prayer focus: Pray
for our leaders on both sides of the aisle today.
Song: Let There Be Peace on Earth – Vince Gill
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