Leave Your Sword In Its’ Sheath


Let Malchus have his ear.

That may sound like strange advice at first, but it’s good advice. Malchus is unknown in history outside of one night of his life. He was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas. On the night Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane he was there. Not there with the disciples napping when they should have been praying. He’s with the group that comes to arrest Jesus. We aren’t given names for those who came for Jesus. We know Judas was with them. The Temple guards of the Sanhedrin were there. Then we get one man’s name under the craziest set of circumstances.

“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)” John 18:10

What a way to get your name into the Bible. I’ve often wondered if Peter swung sideways and Malchus didn’t duck down quite low enough? Or did he swing down and somehow stop short of the shoulder? However it happened, it must have been a pretty gruesome sight as his ear fell to the ground. Jesus responded quickly.

“But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him.” Luke 22:51

Peter meant well. He loved Jesus, and was clearly attempting to protect him. However, Jesus’ arrest was a part of Father’s plan. The cross was our only hope of salvation. 

Too often in life I’ve taken my sword out it’s sheath and started swinging when I really needed to trust God’s plan. Like Peter I mean well, but end up trying to take over a situation when I should be trusting Father’s plan. 

“He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;” Psalm 46:10

That’s a beautiful verse on a greeting card. Or maybe an Instagram post with a nice nature scene, and a silhouette of a person kneeling on a cliff with a sunset behind them. Real life is never that pretty. It would be easy to be still if life was lived in a cabin with beautiful autumn foliage around, and a stream flowing by. That’s the pictures we use for verses like that. But that’s not where you live. Real life is bills, and kids, and relationships, and work, and you kick the leg on the sofa when you’re barefoot and lose your sanctification.

In real life we still need to trust Father’s plan. We will hear a lot about the Easter story this week. There will be cantatas and plays. I don’t know if we’ll hear about Malchus, but he’s there. Let’s let him have his ear.

Following the Son,

James A Williams

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