Meditation On The Passion: Then Simon Peter, Having A Sword, Drew It, And Struck The Servant Of The High Priest, And Cut Off His Right Ear. And The Name Of The Servant Was Malchus

BABUREN, Dirck van 

The Capture of Christ with the Malchus Episode 

1616-17

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And the name of the servant was Malchus. Jn.xviii.

Consider first: the fervour of the disciples, who being but a few in number, feared not to oppose themselves against two companies; and to adventure present danger in defense of their Lord: that thou spare not thy self whensoever Christ his cause shall be handling.

Secondly: (And behold) a new thing that the Apostle of our Lord should use his sword: Christ taught mildness, not fight, which nevertheless is to be undertaken, when Gods glory is in danger.

Thirdly Peter the chief of the Apostles drew his sword, whose office is to cut off the rotten members from the body of the Church with his spiritual sword.

Fourthly, he cut off the right ear, because all which are excommunicated by Peter, are excluded from the divine promises of heavenly things, & they keep the left ear with which after the pleasures of this life, they may hear the malediction of the severe Judge.

Fifthly: (Malchus) (which name signifieth King) is the servant of the wicked Priest: for they which in this world are delighted with vain titles of honors, are indeed the bond slaves to vices.

Sixtly the power of Christs word (suffer these men to go away) For by the power thereof all that great company of men did his disciples no hurt at all.

Consider seventhly the goodness of Christ, who would not suffer Peter to do any more harm, least by his passion which ought to profit all men, he should seem to have hurt some man.

Pray thou unto Christ never to deprive thee from the hearing of heavenly things, nor to shut thy ears against good things, but rather to open the ears of thy heart, that thou being deaf to the babbling of wicked men, mayest hear what our Lord shall say unto thee.

Fr. Francis Costerus S.J. 1616