Article April 10, 1995 Issue

God's defending angels

Donna P. Tsarnas

When Jesus was about to be taken away at the hour of his crucifixion, one of his disciples reacted vengefully by pulling his sword on a servant of the high priest. Jesus responded by healing the wounded soldier and, according to Matthew, by also making a statement that has come to mean a great deal to me: "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (26:53).

There is a freedom that I feel when I read or think about that statement. Almost a glimpse of what Jesus must have understood of man's oneness with God and of the immediacy of God's great love for His children. The sense of authority in those words makes me realize that there could never be a time when we would be left without God's defending angels.

An experience I had proved to me that those "legions of angels" are a powerful presence—we need only listen for them. One day, on my way to an interview for my first job in the business world, I got onto the train and a man followed me. This man was frightening to look at, and he seemed to have a rage in his eyes. I was traveling at off hours and had boarded close to the beginning of the line. There was only one other passenger in the car, a senior citizen, and he appeared to be scared for me. I sat down, and the man sat right next to me, speaking profanities. I noticed the outline of what looked like a weapon in his coat.

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