That’s Enough


Luke 22:35-46
35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

The Disciples are about to experience a dramatic shift in their lives. Jesus is preparing them for His death and the fact that He will no longer be present with them physically. Their lives are about to change in ways they cannot imagine. If they actually understood what was about to happen the only word that would work to describe them would be ‘terrified’. How many of us can face a life altering experience without fear?

Earlier in their training, the Disciples had been sent out by Jesus on a mini mission trip. Here they were allowed to experience what life would be like as messengers of the Gospel. They all came back to Jesus (after only a few short days) to announce that they had had great success. They had healed the sick and even cast out demons. And for that trip Jesus had told them to take nothing along with them. Now, He gives them the opposite counsel because His departure is going to change everything. They will find themselves in danger. Now their minds needed to be prepared for a new reality. This isn’t a contradiction, just a shift in circumstance. Jesus also begins the final phase of His Passion, listing Himself “among the transgressors”. He now begins to carry the sins of the world upon His shoulders.

As Jesus shares the fact that the Disciples will now be facing violence because of His Kingdom, there will also be a need for swords. Oddly enough, the Disciples already have two swords with them – brought to the Passover Meal! (It’s time for another eye roll.) The words “It is enough” are interesting here.

This is another ambiguous thought. Jesus could be understood as saying that two swords are “enough” for his and the disciples’ ministry. Or, more likely, he is fed up with the disciples’ misunderstanding of his ministry and theirs. They take Jesus literally and intend to use swords, as Peter does in 22:49–50. Hence Jesus says in effect, “I have had enough!”
Just, A. A., Jr. (1997). Luke 9:51–24:53 (p. 842). St. Louis: CPH.

Who of us as parents hasn’t said the words, “That’s enough!”? When you’re at the end of your tolerance for foolishness these are easy words to say. The fact that the Disciples have brought swords to this feast is over the top and displays an alarming lack of trust in Jesus who has already provided complete protection for them for over 3 years. So while they don’t totally understand what’s going on, they do sense that there is a shift in their circumstance and fear overtakes them.

We are now seeing a “no nonsense” Jesus who has His face set toward the cross. The foolishness of the Disciples is the last thing He needs in these moments. But, He utters only this brief reprimand and they move on to the Mount of Olives. It is time.

We all do well to examine our own fear responses. What security blankets do we take with us when God doesn’t seem to be enough? (I might suggest that we depend far too much on our cell phones, but I digress.) While Jesus teaches the Disciples that preparation and readiness are important, relying on God is still the most effective tool that we have.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The...
Read more

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv...
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl...
Read more