THE EAR OF MALCHUS
As the Father has sent me, I am sending you … to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God (remission)
Here is my layman’s, yet fully Biblical interpretation of Isaih 61:2 :
The time of the Lord’s favour lasts a year, the time of the Lord’s vengeance lasts only a day.
Isn’t this a glorious comfort.
It’s very simple really. If you feel the need to judge, then judge once and bless 365 times. Keep the ratio of God biblical.
The question we need to ask ourselves is how we respond when our faith is under fire. How do we approach sinners, knowing that we are sinners ourselves? Do we stick to the 365:1 ratio regarding jubilee and judgement, or are we more inclined to adapt to the 80% condemnation rule of other religions? Are we proclaiming a religion of remission or retribution? Do we declare a loving God who seeks and saves or an angry God who seeks and condemns?
THE EAR OF MALCHUS
One of my favourite examples of a remissive God is found in the garden of Gethsemane. It’s about a man you probably don’t remember—MALCHUS. The explosive interaction between Malchus and short-tempered, self-righteous defender-of-faith, Simon Peter, sets an example so definitive that it simply cannot be ignored.
The scene is set in the garden of Gethsemane (John 18:3). We find Jesus and some of His disciples being confronted by a group of Roman soldiers, some temple guards, chief priests, and Pharisees. Quite a mob, to say the least. They were armed and carried lanterns and torches. Amongst them was Malchus, the synagogue spy, and servant of Caiaphas.
The question we need to answer is where are we in this crowd?
If we see ourselves as defenders of faith, exposers of evil, guardians of truth, and protectors of Christian virtues, we need to take the following to heart: (by Gerald M. Bilkes[1])
Armed with swords and clubs and torches, a band of about two hundred soldiers and temple guards arrived in Gethsemane, led by Judas. Jesus then allowed these soldiers to bind His hands—hands that had healed the sick, blessed children, and done so many miracles (John 18:8-12). But before being bound, Jesus would do one last act of healing with those blessed hands, and that on an enemy who had come to bind His hands.
Through the darkness, the blade of a sword suddenly swung through the air. Had some soldier from the temple guard gone on attack? No. One of the Lord’s disciples reached for his sword and pulled it out of its sheath. He lunged towards the group and aimed for the head of one of them. Perhaps in the dim light, the man named Malchus saw the shining blade coming his way and, throwing his weight to one side, survived the attack. John tells us that the victim’s name was Malchus.
Malchus was one of the most recognized people in Jerusalem during the First Century. He was the personal assistant to Caiaphas, the High Priest, and his chief duty involved listening. He was the “ear” of Caiaphas. Malchus listened to the Roman militia that occupied Jerusalem. He listened to the Pharisees, the Herodians, even the common folks. And he reported all that was significant back to Caiaphas. It’s strange that you hear nothing of his name until John 18:10 where the Bible says “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)”
Although his name appears as an afterthought there is nothing insignificance about this narrative. Here was Malchus tracking Jesus, most likely, for the three years of His public ministry. Malchus, ready to arrest, suddenly became the victim. The sword missed its intended target and instead cut off Malchus’s ear.
Imagine Malchus reaching for the right side of his head to find his ear gone and his head bleeding profusely. The ears of Malchus were like the hands of a surgeon, irreplaceable. For the last time Jesus uses His hands, which would soon be bound, to restore what was so precious to His attacker.
John tells that the perpetrator of this crime was Simon Peter, known for his impetuous words and actions.
What did this sword-wielding disciple’s action accomplish? Was he helping his Lord here? No; not only did Peter do damage to Malchus, he brought damage to his Lord and his reputation. Christ had just said in Peter’s hearing: “Let these go their way” (John 18:8). He should have taken this as a cue that what was going to happen would not involve him, but instead of getting out of the way, Peter got in the way. His sword dripping with blood, he was more ready for Armageddon than for the Passion.
We often respond like Peter did when we see more of the enemy around us than we do the guilt within us. We are so easily persuaded to see Christianity as a cause for which we must fight. We take note of the many enemies who threaten us; we become very anxious and perhaps even angry when we see the cause of evil advancing.
But we should remember that Christianity is not, in sum and substance, a cause to be fought outside of us as much as a work of grace within us. That grace causes us to rest in the finished work of Christ. If we had to add one sword stroke to the cause of our salvation, we would be lost forever.
No wonder, then, that the Lord admonished Peter: “Put up thy sword into the sheath” (John 18:11). Scripture elsewhere codifies the lesson as follows: “Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). This is not the time for fighting. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God” (2 Corinthians 10:4).
So, the question remains, in our good endeavours to expose sinners and sin, do we reflect the God of remission, the year of favour, or a god like all others, a god of vengeance, quick to anger, and slow to forgive?
[1] https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/healing-malchus’s-ear