Today’s scripture: Luke 22:35-38 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message)
As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.
My thoughts (Jeff Miner):
This is one of those passages that you read, then say, “What?” To get the meaning, you have to spend quality time pondering the dialogue, dissecting each statement. It’s kind of like overhearing a conversation between people who know each other so well they communicate in abbreviated statements.
Jesus begins with a reference to two times early in his ministry when he sent the disciples out two-by-two among the villages of Palestine to share his message. Both times, he explicitly instructed them NOT to take provisions for their journey. Luke 9:1-6; Luke 10:1-12. For Jesus’ disciples, these two “mission trips” were an exercise in faith. They were learning to trust God to provide –- and God did.
So they must have found it a little perplexing when Jesus “takes back” that lesson. In today’s passage, he’s tells them the exact opposite. He says, in effect, “Prepare yourselves. Get ready for a rough time ahead. You’re gonna need some food and provisions and even a sword or two for protection.”
You see, the religious and governmental authorities were about to strike. They were determined to break up the Jesus Movement. Within a few hours Jesus would be arrested, and his close followers would themselves be in danger. Most of them would go into hiding. Jesus must have been concerned that some of them might think they should approach the present situation in the same way as their mission trips, failing to make any provisions.
I guess it just goes to show that it’s possible to “over-learn” any good lesson. So in today’s passage, Jesus gives his disciples blunt advice. He makes clear that this is not a time to do nothing and just trust. This is a time to take practical measures to gather provisions to weather the coming storm.
And from this, we learn another important lesson: life is complex.
Sometimes I worry that we Christians sometimes tend to be simplistic. We want to latch on to one or two simple principles and apply them to every situation. For example, some Christians are the type who always say, “The Lord will provide,” while others are the type who always say, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.”
Both have “over-learned” good lessons. The truth is, there’s a time to trust, and there’s a time to make preparation. Our faith and theology need to be flexible enough to react appropriately in different situations. There are times in life when we’re supposed to “let go and let God,” and other times when we’re supposed to get busy, get a plan, and carry it out.
So how do we know what to do when? Cultivate a listening heart. We must learn to listen, listen, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit inside.
Thought for the day: Life’s complicated. Don’t over-simplify — listen closely to the Holy Spirit.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.