When Peter cut off the servant's ear Jesus rebuked Him, and
then healed the servant by restoring the ear (Luke 22:49-52). For many years I've not been
quite sure why Jesus rebuked His disciple if He had already allowed him to
carry a sword in the first place. But now I see that Jesus was saying that
Peter was using the wrong sword, that
it was time to put aside his worldly weapon because Jesus was about to equip
all His people with His spiritual sword, "the
sword of the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17).
I believe that Jesus is showing me to put down my sword of
political activity and take up His
sword which He gave to me many years
ago, and which He has so carefully trained me to use! This is His sword of prayer.
"For the weapons
of our warfare are not physical, but they are mighty before God for the
overthrow and destruction of strongholds,
we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and
lofty thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God; and we lead
every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ"
(2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Amplified).
"Strongholds" are simply lies
presented as truth; just the same as "political
correctness" which we see so wide-spread in our present age.
In Peter's case Jesus was saying that the times were about
to change; that the time of the established order was finishing and a new
paradigm for living and for the exercise of power was soon coming. The old
order, (which we might think of as the Old Covenant), included the power of
God, but this was mostly effected from the outside; the Spirit of God would
come upon people and enable them.
Under the New Covenant God's Spirit fills
the believer; this filling is
continuous and on-going. It is not just a once-off, or occasional, event.
"I baptize you
with water for repentance" [said John the Baptist]. "But after me comes one who is more
powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11).
Jesus was saying that Peter needed to put down his sword of
steel so that he could go through the time of Jesus' Passion and all that
transpired when Our Lord was wrongly condemned, was killed on the cross, was
buried, rose again from the dead, and ascended into Heaven where He sits at the Father's right hand in glory.
This was a very difficult journey for
Peter who was starkly aware that he had betrayed Jesus three times. It was much
later that he learned that Jesus still loved him and had forgiven him. I've
been spending some time in the last four chapters of John's Gospel and the
first two of the Book of Acts; Jesus is so gentle, and so beautiful too. This
is a truly awesome historical account of world changing events (which only
about one third of the people in the world ever hear).
After Jesus died and rose again, His believers all stuck
together; they were demoralised and frightened. What had happened? They had
become convinced that they would see victory with Jesus; a glorious restoration
of the nation of Israel
and her position in the world. Instead Jesus had been killed in the most brutal
and humiliating way. He had risen from the dead (and "He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters
at the same time" (1 Corinthians 15:6)). Then Jesus ascended into
Heaven and left them leaderless! Rome
was still all powerful and had its heel firmly on the necks of the Jewish
people.
Then came Pentecost. Those present in that upper room became
the first Christians. They had an undeniable experience of God in Jesus, and they were all filled, in the most spectacular and undeniable way, with the
promised Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of God Himself! Peter and all those
present were given their new swords, they were filled with fire and power
(Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:38)!
All these generations later, (about 80 generations since
Jesus walked the earth), we are still being equipped, in the same way, with
mighty spiritual weapons. Hallelujah!
So that's it for me; much less political activity, and much more prayer, pressing into God for
my family, for all my fellow Christians, for all governments everywhere, indeed
for every one of the seven-and-a-half billion people on our lovely planet. It's
an old sword but a good one; over the past few years it has not been used as
much as perhaps it should have been. I'll be busy with the sharpening stone and
metal polish, getting ready for a long battle ..
Amen.
Favourite Bible Verses
"Now concerning gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the
same Spirit. And there are varieties of
ministries, and the same Lord. There are
varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all
persons. But to each one is given the
manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For to one is given the word of wisdom
through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same
Spirit; to another faith by the same
Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and
to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another
various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these
things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. For even as the body is one and yet has many
members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body,
so also is Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:1-12).
'“No weapon formed
against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment
you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their
righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord' (Isaiah 54:17).
'Whoever dwells in the
shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of
the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I
trust". Surely he will save you
from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and
under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and
rampart. You will not fear the terror of
night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that
destroys at midday. A thousand may fall
at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you'
(Psalm 91:1-7).
'He who testifies to
these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus'
(Revelation 22:20).
Praise Jesus.
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Amen.
