Mark 14.47,
Matthew 26.51-54,
Luke 22.49-51,
John 18.10-11.
When I translate the gospels, there’s a word,
And I’ve gotten complaints about this: “He wasn’t wielding a machete!” Yes he was. You just prefer to think of it as a sword. You’ve seen art and movies where people are carrying swords or daggers, not work knives; you prefer to imagine people were using proper weapons of war instead of any tools they happened to own. Even though it’s far more realistic they’d use tools, instead of spending a bunch of denarii they didn’t have on fancy swords with scrollwork and macho-sounding names. And this has always been true. Farmers dragged off to war wouldn’t have proper weapons, so they’d bring their sharpest farm implements. Spontaneous rioters didn’t have a cache of swords, so they’d bring pitchforks and torches. They’d get mowed down by soldiers with swords, battleaxes, and spears, and later rifles. But they’d defend themselves—pitifully—as best they could with what they actually had.
When Jesus was arrested, his students had machetes on them. And one overeager kid whipped it out and started to use it on the mob who’d come to get Jesus.
Mark 14.47 KWL - One of the bystanders, pulling out a machete,
- strikes the head priest’s slave, and cuts his ear off.
It’s often said the Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas
How do we know it’s Peter? ’Cause Peter’s fellow student John outed him.
John 18.10-11 KWL 10 Simon Peter, having a machete, draws it- and strikes the head priest’s slave.
- He slices off his right ear.
- The slave’s name was Malchus.
11 So Jesus tells Peter, “Sheath your machete.- This is the cup the Father gave me.
- Shouldn’t I drink it?”
John identifies, and possibly knew, the slave; Malchus is a Romanized form of the Hebrew name
Luke 22.49-51 KWL 49 Seeing what those round them intend to do,- the students say, “Master, should we strike with a machete?”
50 One hit a certain one of them—the head priest’s slave—- and cuts his right ear off.
51 In response Jesus says, “That’s enough!”- and touching the ear, Jesus cures him.
And lastly let’s see Matthew, in which Jesus rebukes Peter with his famous line “He who lives by the machete shall die by the machete.” Okay, I realize that’s not how you remember the saying, and I swapped “machete” out with “arms” because I’m quite sure Jesus wasn’t referring to any specific weapon. He who lives by the gun will die by the gun; he who lives by biological warfare will die by biological warfare; he who smites one way will be smitten the same way. Same general idea.
Matthew 26.51-54 KWL 51 Look, one of those with Jesus stretches out his hand,- draws his machete,
- and, striking the head priest’s slave,
- cuts off his ear.
52 Then Jesus tells him, “Put your machete back in its place!- For everyone who chooses arms
- will be destroyed by arms.
53 Or do you think I can’t call out to my Father,- and he will give me, right now,
- more than 12 legions of angels?
54 Then how might the scriptures be fulfilled?- So this has to happen.”
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