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 ...
‘Because you had become so dear to us’ [1 Thessalonians 2:7-12] If you have only one hour left to live and can only make one phone call, who will you call and what will you say? When I asked myself this question, I will make one phone call to my beloved wife and I will tell her "I love you". What would you say to who? We have to think about what to say to our loved ones in terms of death. The reason is because we only have time to love. We live a short life even if we live only to love. If we know this, we must live our lives confessing "I love you" to those whom we love. And we must live to express our love to them. This is what Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians church saints in 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” We can see ...