“Choosing our battles” (Matthew 26:51-54)

Matthew 26:51-54

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Pastor Tom Johnson, April 9, 2017

There is a lot of military imagery today. Jesus comes into Jerusalem as a conquering King. They cry, “Hosanna!” “Lord, save us!” They would love to have Messiah’s triumphal entry to deliver them from Roman occupation. But that is not why Jesus comes into the city. That is not his battle today. Nor will it be his battle in the future. Jesus choose to battle the money changers, though. He goes into the temple courts to drive them out. He is zealous for God’s house because they are crowding out the Gentiles. He is making way for people who were not born into the faith. His battle is to make room for the foreigner—to welcome the stranger—and to encourage all nations and peoples in the knowledge of the true and living God.

That also explains why Jesus did not approve of Peter trying to deal a death blow to the high priest’s slave. And it was not because Peter was such a poor swordsman and missed his head entirely just close enough to get his ear. Jesus tells Peter to put his sword away. And says the proverb: Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. If we choose to put our trust in might to make right we are deceived. We may succeed with the sword today but sooner or later what goes around will come around again. The battle we win today may lead to a series of battles in the future—and we will most likely not win them all. The strongest arms—the best trained soldiers—the loudest voice does not always win. Jesus challenges us to use our heads before we use our swords. Winning the battle today may mean losing the war tomorrow. And just what is our battle against? Not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers and authorities. Peter’s battle was stopping Jesus’ arrest. Jesus’ battle is winning souls. In fact, tradition says that that slave whose ear was cut off and then healed by Jesus—his life was never the same. He was won over by Jesus and he believed. Our battle as Christians is not to win arguments, fights, and power struggles.

Our battle is to win sisters and brothers—to love our enemies and pray for them—Just as Jesus taught and exemplified. Our battle is not to end the lives of our adversaries—it is to transform them into friends and members of the family of faith. That’s what happened to Saul the persecutor of the Church; he became Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles. Jesus' words—put your sword back—is a good word for all of us. We need to govern our minds and thinking—to hold every thought captive to the Word and mind of Christ. Put them back. Confess and repent of those hurtful thoughts. We need to keep criticisms, insults, gossip, and slander sheathed. When we cannot filter those thoughts and they escape our mouths, we need to quickly acknowledge our sin. Jesus calls us to repentance—to ask for forgiveness and change our course. If we can repent of our thoughts and words, that will prevent the actual deeds—the swords will not be drawn.

But that does not mean we don’t confront the powers. It means that we choose our battles wisely—just as Jesus did that day. It means we fight smarter. It means we know what is at stake. It means we know that God is going to win. The Scriptures will be fulfilled. It must happen God’s way, Jesus says—not ours. It will happen when and how he has planned all along. That is why Jesus will not take up his sword. He will take up his Cross. His journey into Jerusalem will be
the battle to end all battles. He will go in and conquer and win the war. Yes, there will be battles to follow—just as we continue to battle against ourselves and adversaries today. But Jesus will take up his Cross. He will be lifted up high. He will confront sin, death, and evil there. For us and for the life of the world, he will win.