LUKE 22:35–38, INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE TIME OF CRISIS
DISCERNING READINESS, TRUST, AND NONVIOLENT DISCIPLESHIP
Introduction
This passage belongs to the final moments of Jesus’ Last Supper discourse, immediately before he goes out to the Mount of Olives. The atmosphere has shifted from intimacy to urgency. Jesus knows that his arrest is imminent, that the protection the disciples once enjoyed will soon disappear, and that the community of followers will enter a time of crisis and persecution. What Jesus speaks here is not a reversal of trust in God’s providence, but a sober preparation for a new phase of discipleship shaped by trial, misunderstanding, and suffering. These words prepare the disciples to move from sheltered mission to costly fidelity.
Bible Passage (Luke 22:35–38)
Jesus said to them, “When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?” They replied, “No, nothing.” He said to them, “But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, ‘He was counted among the wicked’; and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment.” Then they said, “Lord, look, there are two swords here.” But he replied, “It is enough!”
Background
Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus had sent the disciples on mission without provisions, teaching them radical dependence on God and hospitality (cf. Lk 9 and 10). That period belonged to a time of openness, welcome, and relative safety. Now, as Jesus approaches his Passion, the context has changed. Hostility has intensified, rejection is certain, and the disciples will soon face confusion and fear. This passage bridges the missionary journeys of Jesus’ ministry and the suffering that will mark the birth of the Church. It also echoes Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant, situating Jesus’ death within God’s saving plan.
Opening Life Connection
Many people experience seasons in life when things suddenly change. A secure job is lost, health declines, relationships break down, or social hostility increases. What once felt stable no longer holds. In such moments, advice that worked in easier times may no longer be sufficient. This Gospel speaks to those transitions, when faith must mature from simplicity into endurance, and trust must coexist with prudent readiness.
Verse-by-Verse / Phrase-by-Phrase Reflection
Jesus begins by recalling the past: “when I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals”. He invites the disciples to remember a time of grace and abundance, when God’s providence was visibly at work through welcoming hearts. Their answer, “no, nothing”, is a confession of God’s faithful care. Then comes the turning point: “but now”. These words mark a decisive shift. The instruction to take a money bag and sack signals the loss of social protection and the need for sober preparedness. The challenging phrase “one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one” is not a call to violence but a symbolic warning of danger and opposition. Jesus immediately clarifies the deeper meaning by grounding it in Scripture: “he was counted among the wicked”. His arrest and execution will place him among criminals, and his followers will share the consequences of that association. When the disciples respond, “Lord, look, there are two swords here”, they misunderstand Jesus literally. His reply, “it is enough”, closes the discussion, expressing not approval of weapons, but an end to misunderstanding. Jesus refuses to become a political or violent messiah.
Jewish Historical and Religious Context
In Jewish tradition, the cloak was an essential garment and even protected by law; selling it indicated extreme urgency. The reference to being “counted among the wicked” comes from Isaiah 53, a central text about the suffering servant who bears injustice for the sake of others. Jewish expectation often imagined messianic deliverance through power, but Jesus reinterprets suffering as redemptive obedience rather than armed resistance.
Catholic Tradition and Teaching
The Church consistently interprets this passage in the light of Jesus’ nonviolence during his arrest and Passion. The Catechism affirms legitimate self-defense but rejects violence as a means of advancing the Kingdom of God. Jesus prepares his disciples for hardship while remaining faithful to love, trust, and sacrifice. The true weapon of the Christian is fidelity to Christ, nourished by grace, not force.
Historical or Saintly Illustration
In the early Church, many martyrs faced persecution without armed resistance. Saint Stephen, the first martyr, responded to violence not with defense, but with forgiveness and prayer. His witness reflects the correct interpretation of Jesus’ words: readiness for suffering, not readiness to strike.
Application to Christian Life Today
This Gospel calls Christians to discernment in difficult times. Faith does not mean naivety, nor does prudence mean abandoning trust in God. Believers are invited to prepare spiritually and practically for challenges, while refusing the temptation to respond with anger, fear, or violence. In a polarized world, Christian witness remains rooted in courage, charity, and fidelity to Christ.
Eucharistic Connection
These words are spoken in the context of the Last Supper. In the Eucharist, Christ gives himself as food for a Church that must live in a hostile world. Strengthened by his Body and Blood, believers are sent forth not with swords, but with sacrificial love, becoming witnesses of peace even in times of crisis.
Messages / Call to Conversion
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Christian discipleship must mature as circumstances change and challenges increase.
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Trust in God’s providence remains essential even when prudence is required.
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Jesus rejects violence as a means of fulfilling God’s plan.
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Faithful endurance is stronger than armed resistance.
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Each crisis invites deeper reliance on Christ and renewed commitment to Gospel values.
Outline for Preachers
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Placement of the passage within the Last Supper and Passion narrative
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Life experience of sudden change and crisis
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Key phrases explaining readiness, misunderstanding, and fulfillment of Scripture
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Jewish background of Isaiah’s suffering servant and messianic expectations
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Catholic teaching on nonviolence, prudence, and trust in God
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Witness of early martyrs and saints
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Application to modern challenges faced by Christians
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Eucharistic strength for living the Gospel in difficult times
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Central call to faithful, peaceful discipleship under trial
