Don't Draw the Sword

Matthew 26:50b-52, NIV

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” 

We're obviously not talking about our spiritual sword here (the Word of God). When it comes to our spiritual sword, we are to pick it up often—every day, every hour. We are to pick it up continually.

But not our earthly sword—the sword of offense, the sword of reaction, the sword of our way.

Sometimes our fleshly reaction is to pick up a sword and cut off an ear. The ear might seem menial in comparison to the body as a whole, but this is a powerful and purposeful analogy of what happens when we use our earthly sword—it cuts off the ability to hear for those whom Jesus is in the process of trying to reach.

And Jesus says these actions will always come back against us (verse 52).

We have to keep the earthly sword in its place—not even picking it up, not even reaching for it. For if we hold it in our hand, we might just use it. And, if you'll notice, Jesus didn't even bring a sword at all.

Oh Lord, make us more and more like You every single day. Transform our minds so fully that not only do we not draw our earthly sword, not only do we not reach for it, but that we don't even carry it at all. Amen.