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 ...
God who comforts the depressed “But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6). There are many things that discourage us. There may be a lot of disappointment in looking at the country in which we live, but there may also be discouragements to think about the Lord’s church which we love and care for. Especially we can be discouraged because of our pastors whom we love and also we can be disappointed by our church elders. When we see the division of the church, we can become more and more depressed. These discouragements can be fatal to our life of faith. The reason is that big, deep and lasting discouragement can make us fall into spiritual depression. If we fall into a spiritual depression, then no one's consolation will be enough to comfort our depressed soul. Rather, we will refuse to be comforted by our close brother/sister in...