Put away your sword

Put away your sword

Sword play was and is a sport for boys
It starts out at a very young age
Pretending - role playing -
defeating evil - defending good

By their teens most young men put away play swords
And begin to carry real ones
Capable of inflicting real wounds
And even death

Peter was a very accomplished swords man
The sword of steel
And the sword of his tongue

He had honed them both to a keen edge.
He often dreamed of righting the wrongs of the world around him.
He and his sword

He had many role models
Phinias, David, Samuel

Israel was a nation occupied
By men carrying swords

All men walked the streets
With swords of steel
And a voice honed with descent

He was not a novice
In the school of combat.

He had cut his teeth in the tough school
Around the fishing boat, and in an occupied nation

He was a quick witted, sharp tongued sword carrier.

Matthew 26:52-53
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

One of the hardest things to do is to put away the sword.
When you are good with it
When your cause is right

The more just your cause

The more compelling the drive is to:
Avenge wrong - Set the record straight - To draw the sword

Jesus had the biggest sword any man has ever carried.
12 legions of angels

When He spoke His voice caused them to fall back

Yet He was
"Holy and harmless"

He carried the most deadly sword ever carried on earth
But He never learned to draw it.

He would not draw it even when it would save his own life....
He did not draw it to protect his reputation...

He drew neither the sword of steel
Nor the sword of his tongue - He answered them not a word

"He saved others, Himself He cannot save"

Put your sword away.
He is our example.


If you would help others, you cannot save yourself
Put your sword away


Blood letting is a very addictive past time
Those who have truly mastered the sport are admired.


"Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men."
Deliver me from men who enjoy letting blood

Even when there is no threat to the kingdom
Warriors go looking for conquests

Much more so when righteousness seems to be on their side
Blood letting is an addictive sport

It was for this reason God would not let David build Him a house

David not only was good at blood letting
David enjoyed battle.

Every time you go to war and win
It Makes conflict all the more appealing.

Jesus said put the sword away
If you live by it you will die by it.


Confession time...

I am a very practiced swordsman

I started learning this skill as a young man.

On the basketball court and in the church house

I have proudly told and retold stories of my battle field conquests

I stand condemned by these verses.

I am putting the sword away.

I do not remember when I drew it out

But it was a very long time ago

Those who live by the sword will die by the sword

Pray for me, this is a new road I am traveling

Lm