An Ear

"Malchus, I need the ritual bath filled." That was the first order given to me by my master Caiaphas. I was seven years old when I was sold as a slave. My father could not afford my favoite sister's dowry so I offered, as the youngest son, to sell myself to raise the needed funds. When the high priest heard my story he paid double the price I was worth, and let me attend my sister's marriage feast. Thanks to Caiaphas my sister married a fine man. I was then educated in the scriptures for ten years before starting to serve the High Priest as an advisor. I always ate well and have occasionally had the privilege of accompanying the High Priest to the temple as my family is descended from the tribe of Levi. When I heard that order, my first, I knew that I was being honored very highly because only the strongest and the wisest have the privilege of assisting the High Priest with his ritual cleansing.

In a few years from the day I received my first order I became one of Caiaphas' most trusted advisors on the law and the prophets. We grew to be friend and friend, not master and slave. As time passed we continued to grow closer so that by the year 32 AD he trusted me completely. That was the year things started to change. That year a man began to teach in the temple. He had a large group following him yet he chose twelve out of the crowds to be his special followers. He became such a problem (the Romans disliked it when large groups of my people gather because they fear the riots that might ensue.) that Caiaphas asked me to get close enough to find out what was going on, what was being said, what was the point, and who was involved.

With my orders I went to the temple and tried to get close enough to hear firsthand what was being said but the crowds were too dense. I then found a small boy among those standing by me and gave him a shekel so he would worm his way through the crowd to send one of the twelve special followers to come and to talk to me. He returned with John who looked at me and asked: "What does the High Priest wish to say to Jesus?"

I shivered because he knew who I was reporting to without me having to tell him, yet I said: "My master wants to know more about this Jesus. He has sent me to investigate and report to him what I find. I do not wish to talk in this public place, please meet me for a dinner tonight."

"I accept. I will be there." he said with a small smile and then he slipped back through the crowd to his master's side. I hurried home to make preparation, yet I made sure to describe John to the gatekeeper so he would be let in without hassle.

John arrived at the customary time and was shown to my room by the door keeper. I had a young girl wash his feet, then we started to talk. I asked him many questions about his master, and each time he responded with quotations from the Books of Moses and the Prophets. Eventually I exclaimed: "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU THINK JESUS IS THE CHRIST?"

He looked at me intently and said, "Yes, I beieve, yet I am concerned about Him. He keeps hinting that He will die a brutal death. Peter tried to rebuke Him, but Jesus told him to cut it out like He wanted to die. I am sure he is the Christ, but I don't know what will happen tomorrow."

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" I asked him thinking he was slightly crazy.

"No. Jesus has taught us not to worry about things we can't change, for example: what will happen tomorrow, the number of hairs on our heads, and what we will eat. He has taught us that Abba takes care of all of our needs."

I looked at him for a moment thinking of all the fruitless things I have worried about that caused me grief. I thought of how James had called the LORD Abba, Daddy! Then I thought: 'This Jesus might be on to something. I'm beginning to wish I knew more about him.' John was watching me intently like he knew what I was thinking. Smiling slightly he got up thanked me for the dinner, told me where he and the others stay when they are in Jerusalem, then departed, leaving me to my intense thoughts. That evening I prayed long, hard, and passionately. When the morning came I knew something was going to happen.

"Malchus, it is time to report to the High Priest now." said another servant who had come in to find me praying for a second time that morning. I was nervous because I knew I had to tell him the true entirety of what I had been told. The problem with that was I had started to believe that Jesus was the Christ, which always brought to mind John's words: 'He keeps hinting that he will die a brutal death.' I realized that I did not want Him to die.

After I told Caiaphas all I had seen and heard, he said slowly, "I will help him achieve his wish of death; he is too powerful for his or our nation's good. I will let one man die so that our nation survives. It is better for one man to return to dust or nation to be leveled by the Roman armies." I bowed my head and said nothing, hoping he would not see the tears in my eyes. I had learned never to give my master advice that was unasked for and knew not what could be said.

Later that day, while I was at the temple attending to some business for Caiaphas Judas, one of the twelve, came to seek a meeting with my master. I learned later that he had been promised a small amount of silver if he would turn over his master, Jesus, to the High Priest. He had accepted with a promise that he would return that evening and lead an armed force against Jesus and His disciples. When I returned that evening I saw a group of Roman soldiers and temple guards meeting in the courtyard of Caiaphas' home clearly waiting for an arrest. I had a sinking feeling I knew what was going to happen. Caiaphas called me over to himself and said, "I am asking you to go with these men to capture Jesus. I need you to be my eyes and ears among them." He then handed me a sword and lead me to the group. "Men," said Caiaphas "the man you are going to capture will be surrounded by friends. If you must kill them, but if he comes quietly, let them go free. It is only the false Christ, the leader of the crowds that we want." The men nodded and got ready to go; just then I noticed Judas in the front of the group speaking to the leader of the soldiers. When we left the court yard I was near the back of the group, yet by the time I was at the destination I was near the front of the group as we were placed in order of our rank and allegiance to the High Priest as we walked.

We went to a garden where the olive trees grow and there I saw a group of men who were sleeping on a soft patch of the rock we passed them and continued towards our quarry. Then we saw Jesus and a few of his disciples standing ready to greet us with two swords. Peter had one and James had the other. John recognized me and whispered something to Peter who looked at me with an odd expression on his face. Judas went forward and kissed Jesus' cheek but Jesus just said, "Friend why do you hide your true intention." Then to everyone he said "Who do you want?"

"Jesus, the Nazarene," said the most important of the temple guards present.

"I AM He," said Jesus, and we all started to back away and cower for two reasons: one he was handing himself in, and two he was clearly not a normal person to say I AM. That was the name Mosses was given when he asked of the Lord for his name.

"Who do you want?" He asked again.

I slowly came forward and said: "Jesus, the Nazarene."

"I AM He. Let the other men go," He repeated. I stopped in my tracks and saw one of the soldiers pass me and start to bind Jesus' arms together with thick rope. I slowly stepped up with my hand on my sword.

The next thing I saw was Peter coming up to me, his sword drawn. Before I had time to raise the sword that was given to me by Caiaphas, Peter had taken the sword in his left hand (I found out later that he was a left-handed man) and struck wildly at me. His blow grazed the side of my cheek, and I felt a sharp pain in my right ear and felt dizzy while blood started to rush down the side of my neck. Suddenly I felt Jesus beside me. His hands were not completely tied yet. He picked up the ear, put it back in place while wiping the blood off my neck, and I realized that not only was my ear healed, but also Peter was kneeling behind Jesus looking terrified having dropped the sword. Jesus then said, "Put your sword where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don't you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies –more, if I want them –of fighting angels would be here battle ready? But if I do that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?" Then to all of us Jesus said, (while Peter scrambled to his feet and ran behind the nearest clump of bushes) "What is this –coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much lifted a hand against me. You've done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings." He was then tightly bound and lead toward Caiaphas' house.

I stayed at the back of the group having no inclination to watch or participate further. I saw Peter and John walking behind me in the shadows and knowing that if I betrayed them I would be doing my healer a great disservice, so I started to walk close to them. They looked frightened at first, but when I looked at them with more fear than what they seemed to have, then they accepted me. "I'm sorry," I said to Peter and John.

Peter looked at me and whispered, "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to hurt you."

"No," I said, "you were trying to defend our Lord, and now I fear that all I can do is watch the High Priest condemn Him to die like he told me he would. He wouldn't listen to me even if I was fool enough to tell him about my healing. Besides getting you into trouble, it would also be almost suicide because he has decided what he will do and I am not enough of a fool to try to get in the way."

"I've got to at least watch, though," said Peter

"Well, I'll get you in the gate but after that it's up to you to get out safely," I said. John was planning to go to their house, and I was planning to go to my room and pray. When we got to the gate John slipped away, and I told the gatekeeper Peter was with me. He let us in, though, reluctantly. As soon as we were in the gate, I went to my room and started to pray. I didn't know what to say to Abba, but I said what I knew hoping He would resolve it in the end and thank him for my ear.

The next few days were some of the worst through which I have ever lived. The Romans and the Chief Priests had crucified Jesus, and I was forced to keep acting like all was normal though it felt as if my heart would never be whole again. Then on the Sunday after the day of darkness I met John and Peter in the street. They told me that Jesus was no longer in the tomb and that He was planning to meet them in Galilee; He was alive. I was so excited upon hearing this, and then I knew that Jesus is God.

Forty days later I was visiting the disciples again and the Holy Spirit came. When I felt God's Spirit in me, I knew what I had to do. While the Disciples were preaching in the streets I went straight back to my master's home's courtyard and started to preach for all those assembled to hear. Some of them alerted the High Priest, and he came with guards as I was baptizing many of his servants and took me away. Tomorrow I am to be crucified (Stephen has already been stoned.), and I look forward to joining my master in Heaven. I will thank Him for my ear and for choosing me to be his witness to the household of the High Priest. Yet I had to record this for the future generations. Amen Amen.

* this paper was written with the intention of being close to historical and Biblical truths, though occasionally the historical truth was stretched to better facilitate the plot. KER