3.5.2013 WOULD JESUS BE IRONIC?

IRONY -
1. a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another
assumed in order to make the other's false conceptions conspicuous
by adroit questioning.
(this definition including the last three words is technically
the description of socrates' teaching method called
socratic irony.)
2. the root of irony is the greek word eirOn or dissembler.
(one who hides under a false appearance; to put on the appearance of;
synonym: simulate. (Jesus here simulates agreement with the
human thoughts of His disciples. it is only apparent not actual.)

the Lord spoke to me through luke 22.35-38 this morning.
these verses cover Jesus' 'teaching' about the sword.
35 and He said to them.
when I sent you out without
purse and bag and sandals,
you did not lack anything, did you?
and they said,
no, nothing.
36 and He said to them,
but now, let him who has a purse
take it along,
likewise also a bag
and let him who has no sword
sell his robe and buy one.
37 for I tell you,
that this which is written
must be fulfilled in Me,
'and He was numbered among the transgressors;
for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.
38 and they said,
Lord, look, here are two swords.
and He said to them,
it is enough.

as i meditated on this section several things occurred.
it began to appear that this was just one more
of, what i am beginning to realize,
was just another way of teaching truth.
it appeared odd that Jesus brought up again
the instructions He gave them before
He sent them out to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom.
but now it is night.
they aren't being sent out.
they had just finished eating the passover meal
and He had just warned them all
that a great time of temptation and trouble
was immanent...especially for peter.
was it not evident to them as well.?
hadn't they witnessed the constant confrontations
between Jesus and the powerful religious leaders?
would it be incredible to think
that despite peter's bravado
that he would go to prison,
nay, he would even die with Christ,
given human fear,
they would not have already procured
two swords for the group..
just to be on the safe side?
would it be incredible to think that Jesus
already knew all this without them knowing?

so why go back to the sending out instructions?
could they not have provided a useful palette
with which to paint another truth..
a truth needed right now in the situation
that faced them?
strange isn't it, that Jesus first ask them
you did NOT LACK ANYTHING, did you,
and then go on and change the original instructions?
how can one improve on having no need?

He uses the PURSE and the BAG again,
but then He adds in a new item, the ROBE.
now the purse was to hold extra money
and they had found that they didn't need it
for Jesus provided perfectly just when in need.
the bag was for provisions, whether to hold
an extra pair of sandals which most quickly
might wear out,
or some food just in case their journey
did not yield an ready food,
but they had amazingly found that
all things were provided AS NEEDED.
strange..but explainable for they had learned
total trust and so need not be thus limited.
but the ROBE! this was the heavier outer garment
which was very necessary often at night
to have protection from the cold.
but he tells them to sell that
and buy a sword!
these questions come to mind:
1. had Jesus ever needed a sword?
2. had He ever told THEM to buy anything?
3. hadn't He Himself constantly provided all they
needed?
but now it seemed almost like a hidden message
if you are going to stop trusting Me to provide
what you need and provide for yourselves...
then I'll let you do that!

they still don't know that He knows..
and He goes on.
He tells them that He will fulfill a prophecy,
'and He was numbered with transgressors'.
so what does that have to do with this.
this seems to look down the long corridor
of the present church age,
where many of His followers too
would be looked upon
and treated like
transgressors.
they, like He would ever and always do two things:
speak truth and do good to others.
and for that they would be seen as
and treated like
transgressors.
(so He has now expanded this teaching to them
as well.)

the disciples
(were they sensing Jesus already knew of
their secret purchase?)
not knowing quite what to say
or how to respond to this curious
collection of statements say,
Lord, LOOK,
HERE are two swords!
A REVELATION!
they had never carried swords and had never feared.
they have secretly purchased a couple
and all of the sudden Jesus is teaching that they
should buy a sword!
(we're obedient!) HERE THEY ARE!
we're getting better aren't we Lord ?
we're doing what You tell us to do
BEFORE You tell us!
Jesus says several non-descript
acknowledgement words.
He has set the stage.

they very soon are confronted
with those who come for Jesus.
11 verses past the sword teaching we find,
'and when those who were around Him
(trying to protect Him?!)
saw what was going to happen, they said,
Lord, shall we strike with the sword?'
interesting!
the Lord makes no answer.
He wants them to wrestle with the difference
between His total lack of fear..
His, as usual, making no effort to
protect Himself
and their human instinct
to hurt those who hurt them
or someone they love.
He says nothing.

they v50 'a certain one of them (peter, who else?)
struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his..ear.

NOW Jesus responds instantly,
'STOP! NO MORE OF THIS!'
and He touched his ear and healed him.
Jesus, within the space of..say..several hours
completely countermands what He had just
commanded them to do
and undoes the damage they have done.

Jesus, it seems, is not so much socratic in His method,
but under the appearance of ignorance
has set the stage to deeply impress upon
His disciples the fact that
if He did not come to destroy but to deliver men
(He wanted them to see the ugliness that happens
when we are of a different Spirit..and then heal it.)
they, rightly following Him, should always
do the same...
even to the end of this world
if they would rightly represent Him.
may our only reaction to persecution and death be
rejoicing with great gladness and
speaking truth and loving and helping those near us
as long as we draw breath.

what does this say to me?
1. Jesus does not seem to 'come down on' blatant unbelief.
2. He sympathizes with my weaknesses.
3. He does not, at least sometimes, intervene to keep me from making mistakes
so that i can see the results of my thinking/behavior.
4. there can come great harm when i am not doing what He wants, but
5. Jesus has the ability to make all things right, even things which are horrible,
that i may do.
6. if i am following Jesus' example, could i ever try to protect myself
to avoid suffering harm and experiencing difficulty and danger?
7. to those who are twisted He shows Himself twisted.
8. He doesn't seem to hold it against someone who really screws up royally,
to someone whose thinking is all awry...He understands our weaknesses.

...also i think of  the verse in psalm 18, of david, 'who spoke to the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of saul..'

v.25-6..with the kind Thou dost show Thyself kind;
with the blameless Thou dost show Thyself blameless;
with the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure;
and with the CROOKED Thou dost show Thyself ASTUTE.

these same words are reported historically in II samuel 22, entitled david's psalm of deliverance.
in vs. 27 there, verse 26 here is repeated except the translators replaced CROOKED  with PERVERSE. it is the same hebrew word in both places.
-the word for crooked/perverse is aqash and has the idea brought out by 'perverse'..to TURN AWAY,
in this case, from God('s way)..what He wants.
-the word astute comes from the root 'twist'. when i turn away from God's, His way with me is 'twisted'. this situation described above might just be an instance of this. if i give into my human, desires, or in this case fears, then God may choose to let me go my way (away from Him)...so that now..in this case..i have to provide for myself, i have to protect myself..i am left on my own to try and make my own way and see how it goes...to experience it and to come to realize how bad it goes..david says in psalm 119, 'before i was afflicted, i went astray, but now i keep Thy word'. so He shows Himself to us as a reflection in the mirror of where our heart is toward Him. if i am His, i will let me go my own way so as to learn not to stray...it's a process..evidently.