Put Up the Sword

In the Bible, all four of the New Testament gospels talk of the arrest of Jesus and how He was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying with His disciples when Judas betrayed Jesus and brought an armed band of soldiers to take Jesus away.

Now as this happened, Peter, one of the disciples, drew a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus. But Jesus immediately stopped Peter and said, “Permit this, put up the sword. Shall I not drink the cup which my Father has given me?”

Think about how many times you, when trouble appears, have drawn your sword to fight because you thought it was the thing to do. But have you ever considered that God, your Father, may want you to not use the sword but accept what might be happening as His great purpose?

Way too much of the time we want to strike back when we are offended or the attack is on, when in reality God is using that very situation to reveal something greater from it- if we’ll not fight back but go forward and face whatever the challenge might be.

Remember what Jesus went on to say: “Those who fight by the sword die the same way.” Don’t let your life be drawn into a battle you need not fight on your own. But let God, the Father, defend you, and accept His cup so that His greater plans can be served for your wellbeing- and others also.