Returning to an earlier part of the discussion on this thread:

From softail-Joanie, in regards to gun ownership:

“Jesus said to sell your garment and go buy a sword.”

I had no idea who softail-Joanie was when I read that. But the second I read that, I knew she was an American. So I looked at her “me” page, and sure enough, I was right. Only an American Christian would use that verse to justify guns.

From curmu-curmu:

“The ONLY real interpretation of the bible which clearly states that jesus advocated wielding a sword was Matthew 10:34.”

Actually that verse doesn't advocate gun ownership either. Here's Matthew 10:34 in it's context:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

I think it's obvious that Jesus is not here advocating gun ownership, even for self defense. Rather, Jesus is using the word “Sword” as a metaphor for what his followers would experience if they were to radically put him first in their lives – before everybody and everything else in life. If a person truly follows him in that way, they will sometimes experience rejection, even from the people in life they care about the most. Radically following Jesus slices families and relationships apart, much like the slicing of a sword.

The same is true of the “sword” passage softail-Joanie quoted. Here is that passage, in it's context:

Luke 22:35-39 [NIV]:
Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered. He said them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

First, a bit of context. When Jesus spoke these words, he was only a short time away from being taken into custody and tried. He knew it was coming. He knew that after that happened, life was going to get really tough for his followers, so he wanted to warn them of this. Basically the gist of what he was trying to tell them is that up till now, everything had gone smoothly for them. But soon, there would be persecution and rejection. Here again, the “sword” reference needs to be taken metaphorically rather than literally. By telling his followers to “buy a sword”, he basically meant it's time to grow a backbone! People are going to reject you, persecute you, and you need to have the internal “armory” to withstand it. He is not talking about literal swords.

This is evident when, after telling them this, his disciples didn't "get" the metaphor, and instead took him literally. Jesus had dealt with their total lack of understanding before, and he didn't want to have to deal with that now, such a short time before he knew all hell breaks loose for him. The've been with him all this time, and they still didn't understand him. So rather than explain to them what he meant, he just wanted them to shut-up. Hence his statement: “That's enough!”

What softail-Joanie didn't tell you was what happened only hours (if not minutes) after Jesus said these words, he was betrayed by Judas and taken into custody. While they were doing that, one of his disciples took out a sword and cut off the ear of one of the people trying to take Jesus. What did Jesus do? Did he say “Good job!” and pat him on the back for obeying his earlier instruction to buy a sword? Nope, here's what he said:

“Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.

He rebuked him!

It amazes me how American Christians, in the face of the boatloads of passages where Jesus advocated total nonviolence, they will latch on to the one verse they think tells them what the want to hear. Then they'll run with that one verse to the utter exclusion of the entire rest of the New Testament, and pat themselves on the back for being such good Christians!

We want our guns, and we're going to make sure Jesus approves!

Only in America.