Luke 22:24-38
24 A dispute also arose among them as to
which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings
of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them
call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the
greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the
one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one
who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one
who serves. 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer
on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat
and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel.
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift
all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may
not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go
with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter,
before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you
without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
36 He said to them, “But now if you have a
purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak
and buy one. 37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’;
and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me
is reaching its fulfillment.”
38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are
two swords.”
“That’s
enough!” he replied.
* * * *
I've been reflecting this week on Jesus being among us as a servant. Are there any other major religions that include 'Servant' among their understandings for God? Not to my knowledge. This sets Christianity apart in an amazing way. Jesus, our God-in-the-flesh, lives among us as a servant, one who is willing to serve his Father no matter what the cost. He encourages us to do likewise.
Insert your name here: "___, ___, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, ____, that your faith will not fail." Whoa. Don't be surprised when suffering comes. Join with Jesus in praying that your faith will not fail. Hmm really, what about that I wont be hurt, or humiliated, or appear unsuccessful, or unintelligent. No, "that my faith will not fail". I think Peter and Paul in the NT are great examples of this prayer being answered. Peter writes both 1 and 2 Peter to a group of Christians being persecuted. Mark, likely a student/ disciple of Peter, writes his Gospel to a group of Christians to encourage them in their suffering - after all their Messiah suffered too. Dido the writer to the Hebrews. Dido John writing Revelation. Paul - consider how many beatings he endured - wrote to Timothy saying "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim 3:12) and to "endure hardship" (4:5) and that "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom." (4:18). It seems for Paul that protection or 'safety' is not from harm, but from spiritual death, aka: walking away from the faith. The goal of enduring hardship is for our faith to not fail and for us to stand firm until we are brought 'safely' into God's heavenly kingdom. But Christianity is just a crutch! Right? ;)
Finally, what's with the swords in v38?? Is Jesus inciting a revolution? From the literary context it would seem not. Given that Jesus quotes Isaiah in the previous verse ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’ and then states that this scripture must be fulfilled in him, its likely that two swords are enough because they are needed for a temporary and symbolic act - so that Jesus can be charged as a revolutionary and hence be "numbered with the transgressors".
This is a challenging passage. Lord, I pray that my faith will not fail!
Alex Z.
I've been reflecting this week on Jesus being among us as a servant. Are there any other major religions that include 'Servant' among their understandings for God? Not to my knowledge. This sets Christianity apart in an amazing way. Jesus, our God-in-the-flesh, lives among us as a servant, one who is willing to serve his Father no matter what the cost. He encourages us to do likewise.
Insert your name here: "___, ___, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, ____, that your faith will not fail." Whoa. Don't be surprised when suffering comes. Join with Jesus in praying that your faith will not fail. Hmm really, what about that I wont be hurt, or humiliated, or appear unsuccessful, or unintelligent. No, "that my faith will not fail". I think Peter and Paul in the NT are great examples of this prayer being answered. Peter writes both 1 and 2 Peter to a group of Christians being persecuted. Mark, likely a student/ disciple of Peter, writes his Gospel to a group of Christians to encourage them in their suffering - after all their Messiah suffered too. Dido the writer to the Hebrews. Dido John writing Revelation. Paul - consider how many beatings he endured - wrote to Timothy saying "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim 3:12) and to "endure hardship" (4:5) and that "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom." (4:18). It seems for Paul that protection or 'safety' is not from harm, but from spiritual death, aka: walking away from the faith. The goal of enduring hardship is for our faith to not fail and for us to stand firm until we are brought 'safely' into God's heavenly kingdom. But Christianity is just a crutch! Right? ;)
Finally, what's with the swords in v38?? Is Jesus inciting a revolution? From the literary context it would seem not. Given that Jesus quotes Isaiah in the previous verse ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’ and then states that this scripture must be fulfilled in him, its likely that two swords are enough because they are needed for a temporary and symbolic act - so that Jesus can be charged as a revolutionary and hence be "numbered with the transgressors".
This is a challenging passage. Lord, I pray that my faith will not fail!
Alex Z.
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