day no. 17,365: marching orders

"Exodus 32:27 says, 'Let every man put his sword on his side…' This implies that every man was expected to have a weapon. Weapon ownership was expected of all men (Ex. 22:2; Neh. 4:16-18, 23; Esth. 8:11; etc.) and David exercised that right (1 Sam. 16:18; 18:4; 21:8-10, 13; 25:13) even when the Philistines disarmed the population (1 Sam. 13:19, 22) and later when Saul (by inference) seems to have disarmed the citizens (1 Sam. 22:13). Interestingly, Jesus continued that tradition in Luke 22:36. He said that He had sent them out once before without money, extra clothing, or swords to show that He could miraculously provide for them. But now that He was leaving them, He gave an abiding principle: 'But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it [in other words, don’t presume upon God financially], and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.' That passage is saying that owning a weapon is more important than owning a second garment. It is one of the most fundamental of the God-given rights in Scripture. And as mentioned previously, Jesus gave that command in a society that had prohibited sword ownership. It was a clear-cut case of civil disobedience. In other words, Jesus was saying that the illegalization of firearms is not a good reason to avoid owning arms." — Phillip Kayser, The Divine Right of Resistance

During His earthly ministry, Jesus sent His disciples out  into the countryside without money, without extra clothes, and without swords. After His resurrection but before His ascension, He sent them out again, but this time He sent them into the world, not just the countryside, with a money bag, an extra change of clothes, and a sword. In fact, Jesus told His disciples to sell their extra clothes to gain a sword, if they didn't already have one (two did). In other words, Jesus told His disciples that it would be better to be a little bit dirty because you haven't changed your clothes in a while or a little bit cold because you sold your outer garment, than it would to be defenseless. The Lord did not only permit the possession of weapons, He commanded it. He was not reluctantly obliged to allow it, He actively endorsed it. We know He knows how to command otherwise as evidenced by the episode from earlier in His ministry. He did not have to amend His previous marching orders. But He did.