Digging Deeper: The Power of Prayer
49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
Matthew 26:49-54 (ESV)
THE POWER OF PRAYER
We pick up the story as Judas and a large crowd (some armed) converge on Jesus. Among the crowd of people are chief priests and elders. They have come to arrest Jesus, and take him away (v. 49-50). One of Jesus’ disciples (you can probably guess who) draws his sword and cuts off the ear of a servant (v. 51). In John’s account of this incident, Peter is named as the swordsman (John 18:10). Jesus then rebukes Peter (v. 52), and heals the servant’s wound (Luke 22:51). Jesus also reminds those around him that if he wished to do so, he could call down over twelve legions of angels to come to his rescue (v. 53). A Roman legion in the first century would normally comprise five to six thousand soldiers, so twelve legions at a minimum would total over sixty thousand angels!
David Guzik comments, “With one sword, Peter was willing to take on a small army of men, yet he couldn’t pray with Jesus for one hour. Prayer is the best work we can do, and often the most difficult.” We as Bible-reading Christians always tend to give Peter a bum rap. Was he impulsive? Yes. Was he a type A? Probably. Did he occasionally leap before he looked? Most definitely. Jesus, who only has hours left to live, is following God’s will while also explaining one last time the reason for his presence on earth. He is showing the world that prayer is stronger than the sword.
Peter acted in a way that most of us wouldn’t hesitate to imitate (maybe not quite to the extreme of attacking someone with a sword). When someone we love is attacked, we try and fight back, to right the wrong. What Jesus is teaching is that the discipline of prayer, fueled by the Holy Spirit, empowers us to take on all challenges. If you are seeking to do God’s will in your life, before you act impulsively, you must pray for guidance on how to handle your particular trial. The Secret of the Kingdom is unlocked by prayer, and not by our own physical force. Peter, as always, was a slow learner.
Phil Meade is a father of three, and grandfather of five. He has a Masters in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NorthStar Church. He recently retired after 33 years as a pilot for Delta Airlines.