“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” (Luke 22:50-51).
“And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled‘” (Mark 14:47-49).
“And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. 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. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?‘” (Matthew 26:51-54).
Let us look at the facts
I feel sometimes, that I may be a whole lot like Peter, dear reader… let us look at the facts as recorded in the gospels of John, Luke, Mark and Matthew, as ordered above and found in reverse order in The Bible. Please do, reference the above noted scriptures as you follow along with my logic.
1. Simon Peter cuts off an ear; the right ear to be precise, although if I were the victim of this violent act, no ear would be the right one to be loped off
2. The ear belongs to a man named Malchus
3. Malchus is a servant of the high priest
Next we have Jesus’ responses and reactions to this impetuous sword wielding unruly disciple. He directs attention, reprimanding and instructing the multitude gathered there, those witnessing and enacting the “arrest” of Jesus.
1. Jesus tells Simon Peter to put his sword back in its sheath; next he challenges Peter, suggesting that the will of his Father will be fulfilled without impediment
2. Jesus speaks to Malchus directly, stating there will be “no more of this”; then he touches the mans ear and heals him
3. Jesus challenges those that have come to arrest him. He spoke among them by day without being touched and they came to take him by force with weapons at night. The experiential contrast is ludicrous. Jesus also lets them know, that while they were scholarly in scripture, they also fulfilled it, prophetically being the black hearted characters that would take the innocent son of man to the cross.
4. Jesus tells Simon Peter and all who listen to his voice, that those who live by the sword, also die by it… this is an exceedingly profound teaching in and of itself, a warning to the murders that sought to crucify Jesus: an advanced warning to us, too.
5. Jesus proclaims his deity, saying something along the lines of, don’t you get it? If I wanted violence or vindication, I could call on my Father and he would send an army of angels with fiery swords a’swinging like you have never seen before!
6. Lastly, Jesus says again, that is not the reason I am here. I am here, giving up my life willingly to fulfill my purpose for coming and it just so happens, you all already knew that this is how it was going to play out. I am the living will of God and since he doesn’t lie, I will live out scripture as it was and is, written. I will do as my Father asks…
I have periodically wielded the sword
Dear reader… I fear that I have periodically wielded the sword that Peter held in his hand. Protecting, defending, having a sense of righteous anger when I hear my Saviour being attacked and maligned, love prosecuted when adoration is his due. It is a natural reaction, to en garde, to “take the opening position for action” against a threat, even if it is only a perceived threat, to Someones well being.
Love has a plan of action
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| A sword must be sheathed to be safe |
I am reminded that love has a plan of action that goes beyond my immediate reaction. I am instructed that vengeance is not godly, that grace and mercy belong to the noble. I am told by the one I will to defend, that he is my shield, my God, and that he has the power to release me from my defensive stance, from my fight or flight protective mode. The Sword of Truth, the Word of God, they do not, will not, condone justice meted out by man because He is the judge, the jury, the it-is-finished last say in all that is and ever was and shall be…
If you are swinging the sword of un-forgiveness…
My sword, it has been put back in its sheath. Simon Peter and I, we have a lot in common… we love our Master and have learned that his way must be our way. If you are swinging the sword of un-forgiveness, vengeance, resentment, bitterness, self-righteousness, pride, self-preservation, anger, hostility… put it back in its sheath dear one: You run the risk of self-inflicted wounds when your sword is drawn and dear one, nobody wants to have their ear loped off!
Go to Jesus for your answers
Give your worries, your fears, your failures to the one that can say to you suffer ye thus far and can heal you where you are cut and bleeding. Go to Jesus for your answers and he will, mend what is broken in you.
P.S: How crazy is it to think dear reader, that an ear is cut off? This is clearly a metaphor, at least it is for me: “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15). Do you, have ears to hear what Jesus has to say?
