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Articles
Malchus
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, a band of men from the Jewish Council came to arrest and to seize Jesus. Peter drew out his sword to defend Jesus, and cut off the ear the high priest's servant, whose name was Malchus. John 18:10, "Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus." In Luke 22:49-51, "When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him." I was pondering about this event the other day, and wondered how this man named Malchus, reacted to the events that transpired that night. I would imagine that there was an intense pain from having his ear cut off by a sword. I could imagine that the whole situation was very tense, not knowing what might take place. Yet, Jesus speaks to Peter to put up his sword, Matthew 26:52, "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." Now this would not be the reaction that men would normally expect in a confrontation such as this. Consider even the fact that Jesus miraculously healed this servant's ear, at that tense, nervous moment. Did this event impress upon Malchus for good? Here was a man that was in intense pain from having his ear cut off, to having a miracle performed on the wound, and once again feeling perfectly normal, with the pain gone. Was any change of heart wrought in this man? Or was he blinded like the high priest whom he served under? Did he attribute that miracle to the work of the Beelzebub? Did he maybe try to say it was all a dream? Did these things impress upon Malchus, the One with whom he was dealing with? Did he later on ponder about the events of that night? I don't know, but an encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, never leaves a man the same!
