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 prepares the unprepared servant of the Lord “Then the LORD said, "You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight” (Jonah 4:10-11). One of the steps that must be taken in preparing to become a minister by God's calling is to go to the seminary and study theology. And the seminary students have to study Biblical theology, systematic theology, historical theology, practical theology, and so on. But the problem is that pastors who studied very hard can graduate from the seminary like laity. Although compare to entering into the seminary, they have the increased biblical and theological knowledge, but they can become not only more arrogant, but also more stubborn people. When I think about what the cause is, I think it may b...