Why would Jesus encourage them to take a sword. Wasn’t he a man of peace?

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 that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

A sword was standard fare in the day. It was needed as the desert roads were known to have robbers that would not think twice about beating and stabbing someone prior to taking their things. Swords meant self-defense, something the Bible and nature affirms as a fundamental right.

Now there is question here as to what Jesus meant by “that’s enough.” Did he mean two swords were enough? Or are the disciples talking foolish and he needs to silence them? We really don’t for certain and that’s Ok.

The point Jesus is making is that he first reminded them that God was able to take care of them in everything they needed. And secondly it was a different season. They were entering into a dangerous season and a sword would be a good idea. So much so if they didn’t have one, they should prioritize one over their own cloak.

Having the ability to defend oneself can be it’s own crime deterrent. Having nothing can welcome it.

But Jesus wasn’t about aggressive attacks either. Look at the context.

Soldiers and a crowd of people came to arrest Jesus. Peter, thinking he would be the superhero, took out his sword and cut off the ear of one of the servants of the high priest.

Instead of thank Peter for his protection of Jesus, he rebuked Peter (Luke 22:49-51).

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”

And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

What? Jesus had just told them to take swords. And they were there to arrest Jesus. Why was Jesus upset now that Peter had used his sword?

Because this wasn’t an armed rebellion and an armed conflict. It’s different when it’s self-defense. That and Jesus had a purpose to fill that they did not yet understand.

Just because Jesus said to have swords with them did not mean to use them in aggression as we see clearly here. There’s a time and place for them and this wasn’t it. Violence wasn’t the answer.