A Sword for Palm Sunday?
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2024 Blog #15
April 14, 2025
A Sword for Palm Sunday?
I brought a sword to church for Palm Sunday worship yesterday. Well, technically it is not a sword. It is a long knife that was a souvenir from World War II. I received this as a gift from a friend years ago whose husband brought it home from Europe after his military service was ended in the 1940’s. It is long for a knife and can pass for a short sword.
Why did I bring a short sword to celebrate Palm Sunday? I did so to highlight a lesser-known piece of our gospel stories. One of Jesus’ disciples was a zealot, one of those who were advocating violent revolution against the Roman occupation. Whether or not Jesus approved of this activity is anybody’s guess. Yet, we are told, at the Last Supper, that Jesus’ disciples had at least two swords. Why they had them has been a great topic of speculation, and numerous doctoral dissertations. We don’t know, but some of the disciples did indeed carry swords.
Peter actually used one on the night of the Last Supper. As Jesus was arrested at the Mount of Olives, Peter brandished the sword and cut off the ear of one of those who had come to do the arrest. Jesus then instructs Peter to put away the sword and heals the wounded man’s ear. He then goes with the people who would incarcerate him.
Swords and violence were very much a part of the world in which Jesus lived. Zealots had been active for years, using tactics of guerilla warfare against the Roman occupiers. This movement did not end until the Romans grew tired of the constant unrest. They did so in 70 AD. The revolution was suppressed, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and a large number of the Jews in revolt were dispersed throughout the Roman world. The last vestige of this revolution took place at the fortress of Masada. After a long siege, the last revolutionaries killed themselves rather than be taken as prisoners of Rome.
There were zealots who believed that Jesus would be a military messiah who would start a violent revolution against the Roman occupation. They were quite mistaken, and disappointed, when Jesus did not start an armed revolt. Is it any wonder that the crowd demanded that he be killed?
Jesus’ revolution was for getting people right with God, not for political power or personal wealth. His mission was one for hearts and souls. According to the gospel of St. John, he told Pontius Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, then my servants would fight.” This point of view is something that his contemporaries did not comprehend. I wonder if we comprehend it.
Every day I hear of congregations who are trying to obtain political power. They wish for the church to be powerful in terms of political influence or wealth, much like the zealots of Jesus’ day. I have to wonder if such churches really understand Jesus’ message or perhaps, they have mis-understood the gospel.
Our Christian Walk is meant to be by humility and service to one another, and not one of power and wealth. If we find ourselves seeking those things, perhaps we are connected to a Jesus of our own making, not the real Jesus who incarnated and suffered for us during Holy Week. Let us each examine ourselves. Which Jesus are we following, the real one, or one of our own creation?
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