April 19, 2023

This month we are looking at the story of how Jesus was betrayed and arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, as found in Mark 14:43-52.  Each week we are viewing the life of one of the key characters in the story, besides Jesus and Judas.

They are four (4) people who have been named or identified by their actions.  Our purpose is to learn a lesson or two that will help us to live more like Jesus.

So far I shared some thoughts about Malik the Mobster – Mark 14:43-46 and Simon the Slasher – Mark 14:47a.  Today we will look at a person who I call Malchus the Earless – Mark 14:47b and then Noam the Nah’ked Gai – Mark 14:51-52, the final week.

Recently I have enjoyed reading about the Vikings and some of their great leaders.  The Vikings that come from Scandinavia, and not those in Minnesota tossing a football around.  In one of the T.V. series I watched, there was a Viking character by the name of Ivar the Boneless.  As I read some of the actual history regarding the person, I learned that he was one of the fiercest, most feared warriors in Viking history.

Nicknames.  “The boneless” ????  He got his because apparently due to some curse, disease or whatever the bone development in his body was hindered, and this was so obvious that others noticed; and they felt compelled to give him his nickname.  Probably because there were a slew of people back in his day that were named Ivar.  Or maybe all the Ivar’s had nicknames, like “the big guy who loves walnuts,” or something like that.

Nicknames can play off from a person’s real name, be an identifying distinction, a slang term, a way of honoring or making fun of a person, etc.

In our story, we read in Mark 14:47b “ … (Simon) drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.”  Remember last week’s blog?  Simon the Slasher — uh huh, it was him that done it 😉  In Matthew 26:51 and Luke 22:50 we pretty much read the same thing as what Mark recorded.  But in John 8:10 we learn that the servant’s name was Malchus which is a linguistic variant of the Hebrew word melech, meaning “king.”

But he wasn’t a KING.  He was a servant.  A servant of the high priest, a guy named Caiaphas.  Malchus had hitched his wagon to a really mean, arrogant, and self-righteous religious guy who had plotted to kill Jesus.  In our culture we might say that Malchus was a “minion,” a “gopher,” or a “cabana boy.”

He did the bidding of others with little thought.  His status in life was based upon who employed him or who he served.  Probably his parents named him “king” and had hoped Malchus would do something significant in life, that he would be a leader, and someone others would look up to and follow.  Instead, he probably took the easy way out and became a follower.  A follower of someone who was power hungry, who didn’t listen to God’s word or voice, someone who displayed super poor character, and someone who was a bully.

So he was with the crowd going after an innocent person.  Just following orders, we might say.  And this choice cost him; cost him nearly his life.  A fisherman, not a solider, attacked and he – Malchus –  was the one who was slashed.  Probably because he was in the front, maybe right next to Judas (I personally believe that is who Simon was attacking).

And WHACK!  I can see Judas and a whole bunch of others dodging, ducking, and dashing to get out of the way.  And in a split second, Malchus the “King,” the “Magnificent,” the “Marvelous,” the “Mighty,” and so many other nicknames that he imagined himself being called … became Malchus the Earless.

Crying out in pain, screaming, and cursing … Malchus lay at the feet of Jesus writhing in pain.  It was then, according to Luke 22:21 that we read, “And He (Jesus) touched the man’s ear and healed him.”

Malchus had had no use for God or His Son, Jesus.  He had Caiaphas, he had his Jewish faith, he had his own ramped up ego of being a “king,” he had his position and his people, possessions, popularity, and prestige.  Until a random act of life struck him, and “cut him down to size.”

All that this world promises us and all that we think it can give us, can be lost in a heartbeat.  Malchus hadn’t listened to God before this (because of his what we know of him).  And it was just like the Lord to show compassion on those who despise Him.  To reach out and intervene in someone’s life when all had turned against that person.  To show a person who is lost in their sin that the sinless one cares.  To “touch” a man’s source of pain, misery, and defilement and bring healing, newness, and restoration.

In life, we have our wagon hitched to someone or something.  But who is it, where are we headed, and what destination is in store for us?  Are we listening to God or the “high priests” in our life who are setting the direction and ultimate destination for us?  Those may be our extended family members, friends, employers, peers, cultural gurus, or the fantasies in our own heads that tell us we are a “king.”

Have you had Jesus reach out in the midst of the randomness of life, the pain of life, the wrong decisions of life, and touch you when you weren’t listening to Him?  Have you experienced the healing Jesus can bring to your body, soul, and spirit?  Have you let Him restore you, make you new, and give you a spiritual sense of hearing for His direction to your wagon?

During the remainder of this year try to discern whom your wagon is hitched to.  Who are you listening to as they call out like sirens of old?  Where are headed with your life now, and for eternity?

We have no idea what Malchus did with his restored ear, life, or the opportunity that Jesus offered him.  He may have gone back to Caiaphas and his friends and showed them the scar and told them the story of the crazy fisherman.  He may have cheered the high priest on when he condemned Jesus.  He may have thought about the moment and what Jesus did for him and simply shrugged his shoulders and thought, “I’m a king, nothing can kill me.”  He may have carried a grudge the rest of his life wondering why God had allowed this to happen.  Or, just maybe he would have started giving a listening ear to God.  He may have been one of those who a few weeks later gathered on the day of Pentecost to listen to Simon Peter – the Slasher preach about this Jesus, and made Him his Savior for eternity.

In 2023 BE someone who allows Jesus to touch your life and make you new and different.