Sell Your Coat and Buy a Sword
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July 23, 2017 |
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 Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
"And He said to them, 'When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?' They said, 'No, nothing.' And He said to them, 'But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one" (Luke 22:35-36).
When the time of His crucifixion came, Jesus said to His disciples, "Whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one." It means that they should prepare for themselves what they would need after His crucifixion. Let's delve into the spiritual meaning of His word.
1. The Reason Jesus Told His Disciples to 'Sell Their Coat and Buy a Sword'
In Matthew 10, Jesus gave the power to His disciples and told them to preach, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." And He said to them, "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff." He meant that they should use what God would provide them with through those who were healed of diseases, were brought back to life, were cured of leprosy, and set free from demon-possession by the power.
When Jesus was with them, they had the power of God. So, they lacked nothing. But He knew that things would be different after His crucifixion. That is why He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one."
At that time, Jews wore a tunic like a long shirt and a coat. They wore coats for going out and for the sake of politeness. Also, in the day it was protection from scorching heat, and at night they could wrap themselves in this garment for warmth. The material indicated their status and wealth.
What, then, is the reason Jesus told them to sell their coat and buy a sword? He was telling them how to prepare themselves when they were to wait for the second coming of the Lord after His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. However, they could not get the spiritual meaning of it. They brought two real swords to Him, and He said to them, "It is enough."
He said so because He knew that they would realize what His word meant when they were to receive the Holy Spirit after He fulfilled His duty as the Savior. That is, His explanation was enough for the time being.
2. The Spiritual Meaning of 'Buying a Sword'
To resist the evil of the day, we should take up the full armor of God which includes the sword of the Spirit. Ephesians 6:17 reads, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
In warfare, one should have a sword to protect himself from enemies. In a spiritual sense, the Word of God is a sword that protects your spirit. You should be armed with the sword so that you can resist the assaults of the enemy devil because it prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Jesus also drove away the devil with the Word of God when it tried to tempt Him after His 40-day fasting (Matthew 4:4).
Only when we have the sword of the Spirit, that is, the Word of God can we resist and win in the spiritual battle with evil spirits. If you don't make the Word spiritual bread for you, you may be deceived with enticing words and fall into the way of death. For example, Eve failed to keep in mind the Word of God who had said, "From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." She deleted the word "surely" and said "You will die." The serpent did not miss this chance and tempted her to eat from it. Adam and Eve ended up eating from it and were sent out from the Garden of Eden.
Today, the devil is trying to tempt God's children with enticing words while they are trying to live by the Word and are persecuted in the world for it. The devil attempts to instill into you such fleshly thoughts as "It is enough to attend only Morning Service on Sunday…" or "It is okay to skip Sunday Services when you are so busy. God will understand it." Some may feel uncomfortable and doubt, thinking, "Why is God not helping me though I am receiving this persecution so I can keep the Lord's Day?"
However, if you are armed with the sword of the Spirit, that is, the Word of God, the verse of Exodus 20:8— "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy" and the spiritual meaning of true rest will come to your mind. Then, you can drive away the temptation. Even if you are persecuted for keeping the Lord's Day, you can win in the spiritual battle because the Bible verses pop up in your mind such as "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10) and "For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God" (1 Peter 2:20).
3. The Spiritual Meaning of 'Selling Your Coat'
One's clothes spiritually represents the heart of the person. In the Old Testament, people tore their clothes when they repented or lamented. They expressed their grief in heart through their clothes. The first part of Revelation 22:14 says, "Blessed are those who wash their robes." Here, the 'robes' also refers to the heart of man and to 'wash their robes' means to cast off sin and evil and become sanctified.
In Mark 10, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak and came to Jesus when He called him. A cloak must have been a precious belonging to a beggar but why did he throw it aside? It's because he gained spiritual realization, that is, he knew what to do when he came before Jesus.
His cloak was physically very dirty and stunk. As explained, the condition spiritually refers to the heart. But Jesus is so high and noble that Bartimaeus could not come to Him with the filthy and stinky heart stained with sin and evil. He wanted to repent of his sin and come to Jesus with a humble heart. His heart was expressed in his deed of throwing his cloak aside.
Simply put, his throwing aside the cloak spiritually means cleaning his heart. Bartimaeus had such a good heart, so he threw it aside and came before the Lord. And he could receive the answer to his heart's desire. Likewise, 'selling your coat' in today's passage also means you should cast off dirty sin and evil and fill your hearts with the Word of God.
Here, it is not enough for you to memorize many verses of the Bible and preach them eloquently. Even if you know the Word well, if you do not cultivate it in your heart, you will be just the same with those who do not know it. You may be tempted by Satan, practice untruth, and go the way of death. Only when you obey the Word by putting it into practice can you destroy the work of Satan, reach salvation, and become a spiritual warrior who glorifies God.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I hope you will keep in mind the spiritual meaning of "selling your coat and buying a sword." I pray in the name of the Lord that by doing so you will remove sin and evil, obey the Word with a humble heart, and receive whatever you ask for.
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