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 ...
An exemplary leader [Nehemiah 5:14-19] Steven Berglas, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, had this to say about ‘Success syndrome’. Even if you get a great sense of accomplishment, if you don't have the basic character to sustain it, you're headed for ruin. He believes that such people fall for one or more of the following four A's: (1) Arrogance, (2) Painful feeling of Aloneness, (3) Destructive Adventure-Seeking, (4) Adultery. These 4 things are that people with weak character always ask for too high a price to pay. One thing to keep in mind here is that no amount of time, money, or even prestige will ever get you past the valley you're in, where you've fallen into one or more of the four A's. The reason is because the cracks in character grow deeper and more destructive over time. Whether we lead people at home, at work, or at gatherings, we must not forget that character is our most import...