Swords

Psalm 45 • Psalm 47, 48
Joshua 8: 1-22 • Rom. 14: 1-12 • Matt. 26: 47-56

All four gospel writers have an account of Jesus’ arrest. We’re asked to read Matthew’s today. 

Despite being out in public every day, Jesus is arrested at night by an armed crowd. A handful of his students are with him praying in a garden when he is taken into custody. Jesus is betrayed by one of his students and defended by another, while the rest of the students try to wake up.  

To the betrayer Jesus says, “Do what you have to do.” Judas does it with a kiss and hands him over to the authorities.

To his defender, Jesus says, “No, put your sword away.”  

Then Jesus tells everyone there that if he needs assistance, there are plenty of angels ready to go. Jesus does not call for help from above, however. Getting betrayed, arrested, defended but not saved, and then abandoned is what has to happen.  

That’s how love works.

Everyone around Jesus had been told beforehand: “If you want to follow me, it will lead to a cross—that is, a public execution.” None of them really knew what they would do when it came time to prove it. A crowd shows up to take Jesus to his death and all of them end up running away. Just like us.

We never know when we will have to show if we can love the way we’re called to love. Things just happen and we do our best. (A public execution is rarely involved.)

When we rub our eyes and try and figure out what is going on, Jesus is there saying, “Wake up. Now is the time.”

When we do things our way and betray Jesus, he is right there with us. Jesus is close enough to give a kiss, close enough to hear him say, “Do it and get it over with.” (Often there is money involved.)

When we use force and violence to defend ourselves or even to defend the innocent, Jesus raises his voice and says, “No more of this!* Put your violence away.” (Often denial is involved.)

Jesus is still speaking to his followers who betray him, to his followers who defend him, to his followers who are still just waking up, to all who run away from him. He is talking to his enemies, too; those who threaten him with violence and force. He says to us all:

I love all of you. 
If I wanted to force you to do the right thing, it wouldn’t be the right thing. 
That’s not how love works.  

So, is it time to wake up, stop giving pretend kisses, and put our swords away?

If it is, we might end up following Jesus to a place we do not want to go.

*see Luke’s account (22:51)

Written by Troy Schremmer

Troy works with preschool age children as an enrichment teacher in music and movement. He and his wife Jonny are both safe at home with their fifteen-year-old son and eight-year-old dog.