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 ...
We should fear in receiving material blessings “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me’” (Deuteronomy 8:17). It seems that those who believe in our Lord Jesus greatly delight in receiving material blessings. When we constantly seek after blessings and wealth, it appears that we are serving both God and material possessions at the same time (Mt. 6:24). This is not pure faith; it is rather a form of syncretism. We should serve God if it is God and serve material possessions if it is material possessions. However, we find ourselves serving both God and material possessions. Perhaps we may not even realize that we are serving God for the sake of material gain. This idolization of material wealth ultimately enslaves us, ...