Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. 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. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment. (Luke 22:35-37)
It used to be when a criminal was jailed, they held a number when their picture was taken. It became a symbol of a criminal losing identity. In the same way Jesus would be numbered with the transgressors.
Isaiah prophesized about Jesus: “Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.” (Isaiah 52:12) Jesus was great because he poured out his life to work hard, teach others about God, pray, and to use God’s power to help others. He will divide God’s inheritance with the strong, those who use the power of the Holy Spirit to do God’s will.
Jesus isn’t actually suggesting the disciples buy swords. They don’t know how to use them. We’ll soon see how inept Peter is using a sword. He warns His apostles when He’s looked upon as a criminal, they will also be labeled transgressors. He won’t be there to protect them until God releases His Holy Spirit, so they will need money, reinforcements, and protection. The life in his earthly body would be poured out before dusk the next evening.
Now that we’re not allowed to teach children about God in schools any longer, most educators take the law a step further and make children feel foolish for believing in God. It won’t be long before Christians in the U.S. are labeled transgressors unless we take up our swords, fighting our battles with love.
Dearest Father in heaven, when I take refuge in You, I lack nothing. Thank you. Help me fight my battles with love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Talking about God at school can be a little tricky. I tried never to bring the subject up but if I was asked a question or a child just wanted to talk about God, I did. Thankfully, I never had reason to regret doing that. I can only speak to the school that I worked at, but I never thought any of our staff ever tried to dissuade a child from believing. Elementary schools function a lot differently than middle schools or high schools though. We were also in a religious, conservative area. I imagine it would be a lot different in liberal area, where everyone else’s rights are more important than Christian rights, even though Christians might be in the majority. So, the sword is just a symbol of the fight for Christianity. Jesus fought for Christianity, as did his disciples. At some point, I believe that we might be labeled too. I hope that I don’t live long enough to see something like that happen. We are being put in a position where we will have to fight for Christianity too. I am thankful that I live in the Bible Belt, where I am secluded from the fights against Christianity.
I will most likely be in the fight for my grandchildren not to be ashamed of being a Christian. I’m pretty sure when I begin to write Children’s books that will be a topic. Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Tampa are all liberal cities.