Peter, Malchus, and the Savior's Healing

When Judas came with the Jewish leaders and their band to take Jesus from Gethsemane, John recorded, “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).  Luke also recorded the event, “And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.  And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him” (Luke 22:50-51).  If the later events of that night and the next day perhaps portray trepidation on the part of Peter to be associated with the Savior, this incident surely showed the opposite.  Peter did not stop to think about the possible consequences he would face for attacking the high priest’s servant; rather, out of love for the Master he simply reacted and tried to do something to defend Jesus.  The Savior’s subsequent action of healing the ear surely saved Peter from being condemned to some kind of punishment himself.  If Malchus had walked away from there without his ear, numerous witness could then have been brought against Peter who would have surely suffered a severe penalty.  But with the ear healed then there was of course no evidence that could be brought against Peter; in fact, any legal action against him by the same group would have only highlighted the power of Jesus.  In that quick response—the last healing that we know of the Savior doing before He died—Peter’s act was completely forgiven. 

               I wonder if this experience is not symbolic for all of us who, like Peter, do the wrong thing.  Sometimes, as Peter, we make mistakes even though we had good intentions and end up harming someone else.  Other times, we knowingly sin and injure others.  Either way, this story teaches us that Jesus can forgive us and heal those we harm.  If we have done what we feel is irreparable damage to another, symbolically cutting off their ear, He can still make it right and bring healing to them.  And, through our repentance, He can save us from the otherwise inevitable consequences of our actions.  He can erase the deed so fully such that there is no trace of it and we can no longer be condemned.  As President Packer put it in his final conference address, “The Atonement, which can reclaim each one of us, bears no scars. That means that no matter what we have done or where we have been or how something happened, if we truly repent, He has promised that He would atone. And when He atoned, that settled that. There are so many of us who are thrashing around, as it were, with feelings of guilt, not knowing quite how to escape. You escape by accepting the Atonement of Christ, and all that was heartache can turn to beauty and love and eternity.”  There will be no mention of our sins that we have been repented of and for which Christ has paid the price.  We might say at that day, “I am condemned. I cut off the ear.”  But if our repentance has been complete, the Lord will say, “But look, that ear is whole. There is no sign that it has ever been cut off.  There is nothing to witness against you.” 

               Interestingly, the name Malchus—which was given to us only by John whose writings were full of symbolism—means “king” in Hebrew.  Perhaps there is meaning for us in that as well.  When we sin and hurt others, we ultimately hurt the Savior, our King.  As the parable states, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt. 25:40).  But because we do it unto Him, He can likewise bring the healing, something that Peter and the rest of us never could do on our own.  The same chapter of John that records this account also gives us this testimony of the Savior before Pilate when asked if He were a king, “Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth” (John 18:37).  We rejoice that Christ, the King of kings, can heal and bless, forgive and cleanse all of us who do wrong and all those who have had wrong done unto them.  At Easter we celebrate Christ’s victory over the grave and that He did “rise from the dead, with healing in his wings” (2 Nephi 25:13).  He healed Malchus, cleansed Peter, and continues to do both for all of us who seek Him.