Luke 22:51

The Man Who Lost A Little And Gained Much

He touched his ear, and healed him. Luke 22:51 ·

This is one of the most wonderful miracles that Christ performed, and the wonderful thing about it is that it was quite unsought. In one sense Christ performed a far more marvelous miracle when He restored Lazarus from the dead or healed the lepers, but in these cases somebody prayed to Him for His aid. Here the miracle was performed upon a man who was Christ's enemy, and who was even at that moment treasuring in his heart feelings of bitter hatred towards Him.

What do we know of this man whom Jesus healed? We are told that he was the bond-servant or slave of Caiaphas, the high priest, and that his name was Malchus. That is all the actual information we have, but we can pretty well guess what kind of man he was.

Malchus was a bond-servant. He had never known what real freedom was. Men had mistrusted him and looked down upon him, and their suspicion and scorn had probably bred in him a spirit of cunning. But he was clever, and he had managed to get into favor with

Caiaphas, who was a cruel and crafty man. He had very likely become confidential servant to the high priest. Perhaps he had helped him to carry out his wicked schemes. He had probably been sent by Caiaphas to the Garden that night as a spy in order to see that the arrest was properly made. At the same time he took the opportunity of giving expression to his own hatred of Jesus. The fact that Peter attacked him shows that he must have insulted Christ in some way.

This, then, was the man whom Jesus healed. We all know the story. We can picture the scene the dark garden lit up by the weird glare of torches, the soldiers and police armed with their swords and staves, the rough mob in the background swaying to and fro, Malchus with his face of hatred pushing to the front, the excited disciples, Christ, calm and kindly amidst the throng.

We do not know how Malchus insulted Jesus. He may have snatched a cord from his companions and endeavoured to bind Him. He may have aimed a blow, or merely gibed. Whatever he did, it was enough to fire the impulsive anger of Peter. In a flash he drew his sword, and with the intention of slaying the man who had insulted his Lord, he succeeded in severing his ear.

But Christ rebuked Peter. “Put up again thy sword into its place,” He said; “thinkest thou that I cannot beseech my Father, and he shall even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?” What were eleven poorly-armed disciples against a company of soldiers and an angry mob? Christ was able, if need be, to call down help from above. But that was not the will of His Father. His kingdom was to be no earthly one, won by the sword, but a heavenly one, gained by love. So Jesus touched the wounded ear and made it whole again.

We wonder what Malchus' later history was. We are not told, but we can imagine it. One thing is certain he could never be quite the same again, for Christ had touched him. For the first time somebody had done him a kindness, and that person was the one whom he had injured, the one from whom he least deserved kindness. Christ touched him, and I like to think that, at that touch, all his hatred passed away and gave place to humble gratitude and shame. Christ healed him, and I like to think that, in that moment, his spirit as well as his body was made whole, that the bitterness of a lifetime vanished before a love so big and so forgiving.

And if Christ could forgive Malchus, He can forgive us too. Sometimes we get the idea into our heads that we must be good before Christ will have anything to do with us. That is quite a mistaken idea; it is quite the opposite of what Christ Himself told us: and the longer we hold it, the longer we shall stay away from Him.

Once upon a time there was a little girl, six years old, who had said the same prayer every night ever since she could remember the prayer her mother had taught her. But one night when she had finished that prayer her mother told her she might say one of her very own. What do you think she said? “Dear Jesus, love me when I am naughty.”

Wise little girl! She knew just what she wanted and needed. But perhaps she didn't know that that is just what Jesus does. He loves us when we are naughty, loves us when we are hurting Him, loves us, forgives us, and makes us good again.