Lk. 22:29. And I bestow upon you, as My Father has bestowed upon Me, a Kingdom,
Lk. 22:30. That you may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom,
Having said "woe" to the one betraying Me, and meanwhile having taught them (the disciples) that one must be humble-minded, the Lord, just as He assigns "woe" as the portion of the betrayer, so conversely He says to them: but you are those who have continued with Me in My trials; therefore I also bequeath to you a recompense, that is, I make a covenant with you, so that — just as My Father bequeathed to Me, that is, appointed a Kingdom for Me — you also may eat and drink at My table. He said "that you may eat and drink" not because there will be food there or because His Kingdom is a sensory one. For by His answer to the Sadducees He Himself taught that the life there is angelic (Luke 20:36); and Paul teaches that the Kingdom of God is not "food and drink" (Rom. 14:17). Therefore, hearing the words "that you may eat and drink at My table," let no one be scandalized, but let him understand that they were spoken in reference to those who enjoy honor from the kings of this world. For those who share the king's table are considered to have preeminence over all. So also concerning the apostles the Lord says that He will prefer them above all.
Lk. 22:30. And you shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Likewise, when you hear of sitting "on thrones," understand not thrones, but glory and honor. For of those created and born, no one will sit there. To sit is fitting for the One Holy Trinity alone, the Uncreated God and King of all, while the creature, as a servant, must stand — and even this we speak of sitting and standing in a bodily sense. "To judge," that is, to condemn those from the "twelve tribes" who will not believe. For the apostles, who are themselves Israelites yet believed, serve as no small condemnation of the Israelites who did not believe.
Lk. 22:31. And the Lord said: Simon! Simon! Behold, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat,
Since He repaid the betrayer with woe, and to them who remained in love for Him He foretold great honor in the future, lest they become proud, as though they had accomplished something great by remaining in love for Him and not betraying Him, He says: "Satan has asked to sift you," that is, to trouble, corrupt, and tempt you; but "I have prayed." Do not think, He says, that all this perfection is from yourselves. For the devil strains every effort to tear you away from My love and make you betrayers. The Lord addresses this speech to Peter, because he was both bolder than the rest, and had likely become proud from Christ's promises. Therefore, humbling him, the Lord says that Satan greatly exerted himself against them.
Lk. 22:32. But I prayed for you,
He speaks thus according to His humanity, for, as God, what need had He to pray?
Lk. 22:32. "that your faith may not fail;"
I, He says, prayed "that your faith should not fail." Although you will be shaken somewhat, the seeds of faith will be preserved in you, and although the spirit of the tempter will shake the leaves, the root is alive, and your faith will not fail.
Lk. 22:32. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.
This is convenient to understand, namely: since I first addressed My word to you, then — after you weep over your denial of Me and come to repentance — strengthen the others. For this is fitting for you who first confessed Me as the rock and foundation of the Church (Matt. 16:16–18). But these words can be applied not only to the apostles, whom Peter was to strengthen at that time, but also to all believers until the end of the age. Peter! You, having turned back, will be for all a beautiful example of repentance, and none of those who believe in Me will despair, looking at you who, being an apostle, denied Me and yet through repentance again received your former standing among all the apostles and among God's chosen ones from the whole world. Satan asked to sift you and to spoil you like pure wheat by mixing filth into it, because he, as is his custom, envies your love for Me. So he also did with Job. But I did not abandon you entirely, so that your faith would not fail completely. Although I Myself prayed for you, nevertheless do not fall, but having turned back, that is, having brought forth repentance and tears, be for the rest of the faithful as well a model of repentance and hope. And what of Peter?
Lk. 22:33. He answered Him: Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death.
Relying on his strong love, he promises what is for now impossible for him.
Lk. 22:34. But He said: I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today before you deny three times that you know Me.
But the Lord, seeing that he speaks thoughtlessly (for, having once heard from the self-existent Truth, who told him that he would undergo temptation, he should not have continued to contradict), declares to him also the form of the temptation, namely: denial. From this we learn the truth that human will is insufficient without the help of God. Peter was left alone for a short time and, it would seem, loved even ardently, yet when God left him, he was tripped up by the enemy. Equally, the help of God is insufficient without the consent of human will. Judas, although the Lord did everything for his benefit, received no benefit, for he did not have a good will. Therefore, let us shudder at the thought of the devil's schemes, how powerful they are against the negligent. Here too, although Peter was strengthened by God, yet when for particular purposes he was left alone, he came to the point of denial. What would have befallen him if he had not been guarded by God and there had not been hidden within him good seeds? For the devil's aim was to bring him too to betrayal; for the devil's "food is sumptuous," as the prophet says (Hab. 1:16). But thanks be to God, who does not abandon the saints, the righteous, and the good of heart, such as Peter was, who loved tenderly and was free from all suspicion regarding the Teacher.
Lk. 22:35. And He said to them: When I sent you without purse, and bag, and shoes, did you lack anything? And they answered: Nothing.
The Lord, at the beginning of the preaching, sending the disciples to villages and cities, commanded them not to take anything extra, not to carry with them anything even necessary, and not to worry about anything. And in this case they were to come to know His power. For He Himself, caring for them as for the weak, arranged things so that even without their concern, everything necessary flowed to them in abundance.
Lk. 22:36. Then He said to them: but now, he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise a bag; and he who has none, let him sell his garment and buy a sword.
But now He commands the opposite, not contradicting Himself, however, but declaring to them that until now He had cared for them as children and did not make them worry about anything, but from now on they must consider themselves grown up and care for themselves. I, He says, your caring Father, am now departing. From now on take upon yourselves the cares of your own affairs, and do not place everything upon Me; for your affairs will not be as they were, easy and without hardship, but you will be subjected to hunger, and thirst, and many calamities. He hints at this with the words about the bag, the knapsack, and the sword. Therefore be alert, since you will hunger and be in need of food, which is hinted at by the "knapsack," and be courageous, since you will fall into many dangers, which is indicated by the "sword." He says this, of course, not so that they would carry swords with them, but so that, as I said, He might announce the wars and calamities and make them ready for everything. Lest posterity think that the apostles contributed nothing of their own toward godliness, but that everything was from God, the Lord says: no, let it not be so. For I do not wish to use My disciples as soulless instruments, but I require that they also apply what they can do of themselves. And indeed, you will find that the apostles, and especially Paul, successfully carried out many things through human skills as well (Acts 18:3, 20:34); except that the help of God was not absent from them either. At the same time, this was also beneficial for the humility of the apostles. For if they, caring for nothing themselves, expected everything from God and everything were given to them, they might have become proud, as those who had received as their lot something above human nature. Moreover, their nature would have become idle and corrupted if they had invented nothing of themselves but expected everything, as the saying goes, in ready-ground form. Therefore the Lord says to them: from now on carry "knapsacks," that is, arrange and care for yourselves as those who are about to experience hunger, and buy "swords," that is, guard yourselves as those who are about to encounter dangers and wars.
Lk. 22:37. For I say unto you, that this which is written must yet be accomplished in Me: "And He was numbered with the transgressors." For that which concerns Me is coming to an end.
Some have understood the purchase of the sword differently. By this, they say, He hints at the attack upon Him that is about to take place soon, and at the fact that He would be seized by murderous men. Since before this time they had been disputing with one another about primacy, the Lord says: now is not the time for disputes about primacy, but a time of danger and killings. For even I, your Teacher, will be led to death, and moreover to a dishonorable death. But through this, what was said will be fulfilled in Me: "and He was numbered with the transgressors" (Isa. 53:12). Thus, wishing to indicate the brigand-like attack, He mentioned the sword, and did not reveal it completely, so that they would not be disturbed by some terror, nor did He remain completely silent, so that they would not be thrown into confusion in the event of a sudden attack, and especially so that, recalling it afterwards, they would marvel at His foreknowledge and wonder how He nevertheless gave Himself over to suffering for the salvation of mankind, and therefore they themselves would not flee from any sufferings for the salvation of others.
Lk. 22:38. They said: Lord! behold, here are two swords. He said to them: it is enough.
I think that the Lord speaks thus in parables so that they might receive benefit later, when they remember and understand. Since at that time they were in such misunderstanding that they said, "Lord, behold, here are two swords," and He, seeing that they did not understand, says, "It is enough," although it was not enough. For if against those who came in a robber-like manner it were necessary to employ human help, then not even a hundred swords would have been enough. But if not human but Divine assistance were needed, then even two swords were superfluous. However, the Lord did not wish to rebuke them for their lack of understanding, but, having said "It is enough," went on His way. This is similar to how we too, when conversing with someone and seeing that he does not understand our words, say: very well, let it be — although it is not well, but so as not to offend him, we let it go. The Lord did this because He saw that the disciples did not understand what was said.