Devotional Reflection Based on the Incident of Peter Cutting Off Malchus's Ear: “Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.” ( Mark 14:47, Today's Korean Version ) 1. Identifying the People Involved: The person who stood beside Jesus and drew the sword was Simon Peter . The servant of the high priest was named Malchus . “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 ) 2. Jesus' Response to Peter's Action: (a) Jesus said: “Permit even this.” ( Luke 22:51, KJV: “Suffer ye thus far”; RSV: “No more of this” ) The Greek words clarify this: “ἕως τούτου” (“heōs toutou”) = “up to this point” or “even this” “ἐᾶτε” (“eate”) = “allow it,” “let it be,” “leave it alone” Therefore, Jesus is essentially saying: “Let them do what they are doing. Do not resist any further.” “If ...
Conclusion (1 Thessalonians)
The grace of God is with the Lord-centered community church that
the Lord is building (1 Thess. 1:1; 5:28). When Apostle Paul started writing
the letter to the Thessalonian church saints, he said “Paul, Silas and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you” (1:1). Also at the end of the letter, he wrote to them
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (5:28). Paul, who began the
letter with grace and ended the letter with grace, prayed that the God’s grace
always be with the Thessalonian church saints because the Thessalonian church
was found by the grace of God. Here, the Thessalonian church was found by the
grace of God means that the Thessalonians, who were serving idols (1:9) were
chosen by God in love (v. 4) and the gospel came to them with power, with the
Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (v. 5) so that they turned to God from
idols to serve the living and true God (v. 9). The community of the
Thessalonian church saints served the living and true God was a community of
faith. Not only did they welcome the message with the joy given by the Holy
Spirit in spite of severe suffering (v. 6), but also they received the word of
God and accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of
God, which was at work in them who believed (2:13). Therefore, their faith
didn’t disturb by the afflictions (3:3) and stood firm in the Lord (v. 8). And
the word of the Lord had sounded forth from them, not only in Macedonia and
Achaia, but also in every place their faith toward God had gone forth (1:8). In
short, the Thessalonian church was the community with the "work of
faith" (v. 3). The Thessalonian church was also the community of love. The
Thessalonian church saints, who were taught by God to love one another, love
one another (4:9). They practiced this love to all the saints who were in all
Macedonia (v. 10). So Paul said to them that he had no need for anyone to write
to them about the love of the brethren (v. 9). In short, the Thessalonian
church was the community of "labor of love" (1 3). The Thessalonian
church was the community of hope. The Thessalonian church saints waited for His
Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead (v. 10). They believed that Jesus
died and rose again and God will bring with Him those who had fallen asleep in
Jesus (4:14) and waited the Lord to descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ would
rise first (v. 16). In short, the Thessalonian church was the community of
"steadfastness of hope" (1:3).
The Thessalonian church was the community built by the grace of
God. And this Thessalonian community was the community of faith, the community
of love, and the community of hope. In short, the Thessalonian church was the
community of faith, love, and hope, built by God's grace. I hope and pray that
the Lord builds His church as the community of faith, love, and hope by God's
grace.
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