Luke 22:36

‘And he said to them, “But now, he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise a wallet, and he who has none (no purse or wallet), let him sell his cloak, and buy a sword.” '

But then He indicated that those days of going forward and confidently trusting in God for provision were gone. The whole situation was now changing. Their need now would not be money and food, but a sword, and to such an extent that if they had no money or food with which to obtain one, they should sell even their vital overgarment in order to do so. For above all their present vital and overwhelming need was, as it were, a sword. Such were the dangers that lay ahead.

The picture he is describing is of men stripped of everything, packs laid aside, standing sword in hand ready to face all comers. The idea was thus that they needed to recognise that they would soon be down to their last extremity. Let them now waken up to the present situation. As He had continually warned them of the violent end that awaited Him, now He was trying His best to prepare them for what was to follow that night. He was trying to awaken them to a sense of the hour. But He was finding it impossible. They just could not take it in. It was the opposite of all that they were expecting of Him, and they were therefore impervious to any danger..

That this need for a sword was not intended literally comes out, firstly in the fact that it was clearly intended to be only a short term solution, for they could not go on existing without food and clothing for long. And because, in the short term, on Passover night, they would not be in any position to obtain a sword. And secondly because He made no further effort to press them it on them once they misunderstood. This was not a leader preparing men for a physical conflict, which would have meant that he urged them until they acted. It was Someone who was trying to awaken them to spiritual battles that lay ahead. Nor in view of what He had taught them previously would He have encouraged armed resistance (as what follows makes clear. See also John 18:36). For had He not sent them forth as sheep in the midst of wolves? But what He did want them to realise was that the pack of wolves were approaching, and were almost on them, so that they needed to be prepared. Their cosy future was about to be shaken up, and the fact is that He was simply trying by His startling words to awaken them to the urgency of the situation, and make them realise what a dangerous position they would now be in. He wanted them to be fully alert and ready for what was coming.

This tendency of Jesus to use violent metaphors comes out again and again, but they are clearly not to be taken literally. Compare Luke 12:58; Luke 14:26; Luke 16:16; Matthew 5:22; Matthew 5:29; Matthew 7:3; Matthew 11:12.