“Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus” (John 18:10).
“And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And He touched his ear, and healed him” (Luke 22:51).
Here is another story about an ear that is worth noticing. The high priest and the Pharisees had sent a band of men to arrest the Lord Jesus, and Judas, who was one of the Lord’s disciples, had betrayed his Master. For a sum of money he had promised to lead the soldiers to where he knew the Lord Jesus would be.
When the soldiers came, Peter was ready to defend his Master. He had a sword, and he used it on a servant of the high priest. He ended up by cutting off his right ear, but Peter was probably aiming for more than the ear! He was likely aiming for his head, but since the man probably ducked, the sword cut off only his ear. The Bible even tells us the man’s name — Malchus. Why does it give us these details?
I believe it is because there is a moral lesson for us here. We may not cut off someone’s ear with a sword or a knife, but if we treat people roughly or use harsh language with them, there are not likely to listen to the gospel afterward. We have, in that sense, cut off their ear. It is easy to do this when someone treats us badly. In this case the servant of the high priest was coming to arrest the Lord Jesus and Peter felt that he should fight these bad men. But he did not realize that it was all in God’s plan, and that he should not resist.
Notice how the Lord Jesus handled the situation. He told Peter to stop, but then healed the servant’s ear. What wonderful grace! I am sure that Malchus never forgot it. Whether he ever got saved we do not know, for we never hear of him again in the Bible. But the Lord Jesus had showed him love and grace, even when he was coming to do harm to Him. Surely all this would have made him ready to listen to the gospel.