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 ...
“What then shall we say?” [Romans 9:14-29] We have already meditated on Paul's heart for the Israelites, centered on Romans 9:1-13, under the title of “Inseparable love.” We learned that because of God's inseparable love, Paul had "great sorrow" and "unceasing anguish" toward his brothers, the people of Israel, his kinsmen according to the flesh. Why did Paul have great sorrow and unceasing anguish when he thought of the Israelites? The reason was the unbelief of the Israelites who refused to believe in Jesus. Even though there were privileges that God gave only to the Israelites, they did not accept the only begotten Son as their own Savior. Therefore, Paul had great sorrow and unceasing anguish. However, in the meantime, there was something that comforted his heart. It was the word of God's covenant that could not be failed (v. 6). The core ...