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 ...
Please join me in prayer in my fight [Romans 15:30-33] Why do you pray? Are you not crying out to God because you are in a situation where you have no choice but to pray to God? As I meditate on the words of Psalms 116:1-12, I am taught that we, too, must dedicate ourselves to prayer, just as the psalmist decided, “I will call on Him as long as I live” (v. 2b). Now is the time for us to pray. It is time for all of us to gather together and cry out to God. And what we must keep in mind is that prayer is a battle. Prayer is fighting our own old habits and fighting the old sinful instincts within us. Also, prayer is fighting the sinful world, fighting those who oppose the gospel, and further fighting Satan. The community of the church is a gathering of militant Christians who take the victorious Jesus as their captain and wage spiritual warfare. In other words, you and I ...