Daily Devotion for June 9, 2006
I have a Sword and I am Ready to Use it! Shall I, Please?
When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" Luke 22:49
We hear a lot about extremism nowadays. We hear about people who go to extremes because they believe they should strike others with the “sword” for various (and most times downright stupid) reasons. It is called extremism of ideas--people’s ideas, not God’s.
Extreme cases aside, there are other types of swords that we carry around in everyday life. They are small swords, and maybe sometimes considered a talent, or a virtue. If pain is inflicted upon a person there is a “sword” somewhere. According to the text, “But he/she started it first” is not a valid excuse in the eyes of Jesus. It is also not a modern success recipe.
There are several things that fascinate me about what happened before Jesus was arrested. He was fully aware that these armed men had come with bad intentions. They were not there to drink to his health. Yet, it was His will that he be arrested, condemned and crucified. The disciples knew the agenda but they couldn’t accept it because it did not fit their agenda. However their first reaction to the soldiers is the sword! The disciples have heard that whoever lives by the sword will parish by the sword. However they still ask Jesus, "Lord shall we strike with the sword?”
I would like to ponder a bit on this moment and invite you to take a personal inventory of all the reactions that you have had to certain people, ideas, and betrayals that made your blood go to your brain. Do you still ask, "Lord I got a sword, a good theological knowledge, and a quick witty tongue. I can slam doors on people’s faces like nobody’s business! May I, please, shall I use it? Can I lift the sword Lord, because I feel it is time?" The question in itself shows that we know the act is not fully acceptable, or we wouldn’t ask it. If we see a person that just fell on the street in front of us, we don’t start praying and meditating if God wants us to help this person up. We just do it, because it is the right thing to do. If we are about to completely put somebody down without even questioning the fairness of our actions towards God’s love for this person, we need to seriously reevaluate our relationship to the Lord. Is He Lord of our lives (and reactions) or are we “lords” of our own life.
Ok, so we did ask the question, “Can I use my sword?”. That’s a good step. But now what? The disciples were present when Jesus invited people to turn the other cheek, so there was no doubt in their mind that they were NOT to lift the sword. But they didn’t wait for Jesus’ answer. They acted instead. Patiently listing to God is not strength for many of us – myself included. We know what God’s answer will be, so we act before He answers our question. Impatience and self-will I believe we could call it.
Ok, so we did ask the question, “Can I use my sword?”. That’s a good step. But now what? The disciples were present when Jesus invited people to turn the other cheek, so there was no doubt in their mind that they were NOT to lift the sword. But they didn’t wait for Jesus’ answer. They acted instead. Patiently listing to God is not strength for many of us – myself included. We know what God’s answer will be, so we act before He answers our question. Impatience and self-will I believe we could call it.
When it comes to attacking people with our Bibles left and right and not even looking back to clean up the mess we make there is something that isn't right. As a rule of thumb: If you are in doubt about the righteousness of an action, you are better off not doing it.
I don’t want this to be some “lecture”—some lesson about how not to be judgmental and aggressive. It is never about morals; it is always about God’s grace. In the text Jesus looked at the mess that his disciples made—the way they treated the soldier—and he cleaned it up. He renewed and restored. I believe that His act of healing spoke to the heart of the disciple who raised the sword, even more than this story speaks to us today.
Fellow believers in Christ, I urge you to be good, keen observers, even of your own messes. God’s grace to others teaches us about being graceful. It is the voice that commands, "Permit even this? Put all swords down at my cross!"
Prayer
Lord Jesus, teach us to lay down our swords, our hate, our hurt and turn it into something pleasing to you. Teach us boundaries and grace. Lord give us the strength to forgive and to remember to see through the foe to the need. In your name, Amen
Lord Jesus, teach us to lay down our swords, our hate, our hurt and turn it into something pleasing to you. Teach us boundaries and grace. Lord give us the strength to forgive and to remember to see through the foe to the need. In your name, Amen
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posted by Lutheran Church Charities at 4:02 AM
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