Touched By Jesus

            When you read the Gospels, you will read about many people who were touched by Jesus.  Some were touched in their hearts and minds when they heard Jesus teach or witnessed a miracle.  Others were physically touched by Jesus.  All who were touched by Jesus were never the same.  I’d like to turn your attention to an individual named Malchus.  Malchus is mentioned in all four of the Gospels, and that is a rare thing - for an event to be mentioned in all four Gospels. Malchus was a servant of the Jewish High Priest.  It is our assumption that Malchus was only doing his job when he accompanied the soldiers of the High Priest as they ambushed and arrested Jesus in the dead of night.  This is the fateful story where Judas betrayed his master, Jesus.  Judas led the troops of the High Priest to a place where Jesus regularly went to pray.  Why Malchus was with the force that night we do not know.  Yet, this late-night raid could have been his last undertaking if he had not been quick to duck.  When the Jewish forces surprised Jesus and the disciples who were with Him, there was a brief melee.  We read about this in John 18:10: "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.)”  My guess is that torches gave just enough light for Malchus to see the glint or flash of Peter’s sword.  Quick reflexes on Malchus’ part or bad aim by Peter saw the “swoosh” of the sword strike Malchus' ear and not his neck.  In the story, Peter gets a rebuke by Jesus for his violent actions, and Malchus get a healing touch.

This event is history to everyone but Malchus.  Had it not been for a telltale bloodstain on his clothes, he might have awakened the next day thinking he had a crazy dream.  Some believe that Malchus was later numbered among the believers when the church was born on the day of Pentecost, fifty plus days later.  From that night on, whenever Malchus would hear about the carpenter from Nazareth who rose from the dead, he wouldn’t scoff.  Surely he would tug at his earlobe and know that such miraculous things were possible when it came to Jesus.

While you and I have probably not had such eye-opening (or should I say “ear-severing”) events in our lives, we have been touched by the hand of God.  The sad truth is that most people live their lives not knowing that God watches over them.  I’ve always been drawn to the passage in Hebrews 1:17 which speaks about what I would call “Guardian Angels.”  The passage reads this way:  "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”  The Bible speaks with the understanding that God sees all that we do.  God blesses us in ways we do not deserve.  God also works to get our attention and bring us back to Himself.  As I have said, most people are blind to this reality.  It is their loss that they do not see God’s grace, mercy, and providence each day.  My challenge to you is to open your eyes.  Take time to open your heart to God and feel His care and guidance.  To ignore God and His call is dangerous.  There is more at stake than an ear; it is our very soul at stake.  Keep looking up!