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 ...
The atitude of the builders [Nehemiah 4:15-23] Here is the story of a Sufi teaching: A man wanted to get married. He wandered all over the world to meet the most perfect woman, but he could not find the perfect woman. In the end, her friend asked him who just came back after wasting her life. ‘Yes, isn’t there a single woman in the world who is so perfect?’ The 70-year-old bachelor replies. ‘No, there was one. She miraculously found the perfect woman.’ asked the startled friend again. ‘So how did it go?’ the bachelor replied with a gloomy face. ‘Whatever she is, she is looking for the perfect man. So, in the end, she was blown away’ (Jeong-ho Kim). Maybe that's why there are old bachelor and old virgins, we don't know. What is the essence of Sufi teachings here? There is no perfect church in this world. But what's the problem? Like a 70-year-o...