Malchus' Ear

December 17, 2013

Would you like to have the kind of confidence in your life that lets you live with an untroubled heart?  Malchus must have lived that way. 

But, it wasn’t always that way.  

If you recall, the night Jesus was arrested, Malchus was in the posse.  He was only a servant, but he was betraying the Son of God.  Peter sprung into action, but he had terrible aim.  He took a swipe with his sword intending to cut Malchus in two, but missed…he just got an ear.  Jesus stopped the fiasco, picked up the ear and put it back on.

Now the Scripture doesn’t let us in on what happened further, but can you imagine the scene at the Malchus house that night? 

Mrs. Malchus:   “How was your day?”

Mr. M.:  “You wouldn’t believe it.”

Mrs. Malchus:  “O come on; we never talk anymore.”

Mr. M.:  “Well, alright…I went to help arrest this trouble-making Jew, a prophet they called him.  There was a little trouble.”

Mrs. Malchus:  “Are you alright?”

Mr. M.:  “Yeah…I wasn’t, though.”

Mrs. Malchus:  “What do you mean?”

Mr. M.:  “It’s kind of difficult to explain.”

Mrs. Malchus:  “Will you come out with it, already?”

Mr. M.:  “Okay, okay…one of the prophet’s men, a big one with fire in his eyes took a swing at me with a sword.”

Mrs. Malchus:  “Oh my…are you sure you’re alright?”

Mr. M.:  “Yea……uh, well….actually the big slob cut off my right ear.”

Mrs. Malchus:  “What…let me see…..hmmmmm…looks ok to me.  You've been drinking again, haven't you?”

Mr. M.:  “No, no, I swear!…it was off!  I saw it on the ground.  Look at this blood on my sleeve.  That prophet stopped the big guy and picked up my ear.  Then he touched me and the ear was back on; not even a scar.”

Mrs. Malchus:  “Look, if you just don’t want to talk when you come home, say so…you don’t have to try to make me out to be a fool.  Cutting off your ear, putting it back on.  Come on, dinner’s ready.”

Mr. M.:  “But….but….”

From then on…

Malchus may have had difficulty living with a troubled marriage, and with anyone else who didn’t believe his story, but I guarantee that from that day on he knew – he knew who Jesus was.

Today

Do you live with the assurance of Who Jesus is? 

Is He more than an historical character? 

Is He more than a good man, wise teacher or prophet? 

Is He anything less than everything?

If He’s not that in your life, He can be.

One prayer – one commitment begins an eternity of “ear-certain” relationship with the one who heals cut-off ears and anything else standing between God and you.