People love a good story. We are storytellers at heart. We all experience the human adventure through stories.
Holy Week is one of those times in the Christian calendar that is rich with some of the greatest stories in human history – among them are the Last Supper, Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial, Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion and resurrection. These contain some of the greatest lessons in human understanding. The lights of these events shine so brightly, they tend to overshadow the stories within these stories.
Such is the case of Malchus.
Malchus was the slave of Caiphas, Israel’s high priest during that fateful Passover two centuries ago. Called a slave, Malchus was likely a ranking member of the high priest’s household. Think “executive secretary,” or “personal assistant.” As such, he most likely was well-schooled in Jewish law, scripture, and prophesy, and privy to all the high-level political plots.
In other words, Malchus was a smart guy and, as a fly on the wall, an ultimate insider. His story was notable enough to be mentioned the gospels, yet overshadowed by some of the most significant events of all time. Still, his story should register with all of us who ever contemplated the divine.
Malchus accompanied the temple cohort that arrested Jesus. According to all four gospels, one of the disciples – John 18:10 claims it was Peter – cut off Malchus’ ear.
This was NOT what Malchus signed up for.
Like most everyone else, Malchus was probably quite curious about this strange preacher. He’d heard all the stories about the signs and wonders. He couldn’t escape the shouts of “Hosannah to the Son of David!” that echoed through Jerusalem just five days earlier. And while Jesus caused a scandal routing the merchants and moneychangers from the Temple’s Court of the Gentiles, he had no reason to expect any significant resistance to the armed guards. Yet, here he was now, stunned and bleeding profusely from the gaping wound on the side of his head.
by the Sanhedrin.
As he howled through the pain, Malchus must have thought Caiphas and the council were right – Jesus IS dangerous, a threat to Israel, to the Temple, to the nation, to their entire way of life. He’s a blasphemer, an affront to God, a destructive agent of evil. While grabbing at his wounded ear, his good ear picks up something about putting down a sword. He sees Jesus reaching for him out of the confusion, touching the throbbing side of his head and – WOW! Searing pain gone. Wound healed.
Who IS this Jesus guy?
who have not seen and yet believe.”
Malchus – immersed in the law and traditions of Israel, inoculated against Jesus by the daily denunciations from Israel’s esteemed leaders – felt the ground shift beneath him. It was one thing to hear fantastic stories of all the supposed miracles this nomad preacher reportedly pulled off. But to be on the receiving end of an actual honest-to-goodness healing changed the entire landscape. This was cognitive dissonance in the extreme.
We don’t know if Malchus saw and believed. He is never again mentioned in any Bible text or historical document. Maybe he stuck with the religious establishment claiming Jesus’ resurrection was just another fraud. But just maybe Malchus became a believer. What we do know is that, ten days later, the risen Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” We don’t have to lose an ear to hear that message.
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Now What? 