Last year Detroit had fireworks on the riverfront to celebrate the 4th of July. Someone shot into that crowd. The papers reported that nine people ended up in the hospital and one person died. A man was charged and incarcerated with a hundred million-dollar bond. He was later release for lack of evidence. To this date no one has been brought to justice despite the fact that someone must have seen the shooter.

Do you suppose that anyone would have taken notice if someone went up to one of those shooting victims and restoring them completely by simply touching them? One would think that someone would notice! One would think that at least the victim would make mention of that fact. Simon Peter cut off Malchus' ear with a sword in the garden. In Luke we read Jesus touched his ear and healed him (22:50). Do you suppose that if someone in your immediate company drew a sword and cut off your ear that you might recollect that incident? Don't you suppose that you might study the perpetrator and be able to identify the offender? If your ear were healed would you simply take it for granted?

Consider the record of Malchus in John 18 the 26th verse. There we read, "One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, did not I see thee (Peter) in the garden with Him?" He was looking at the very man that cut off his ear! He didn't recollect that incident or the perpetrator of that offense!  Perhaps the act of Peter just slipped Malchus mind since he was made every bit whole at the hand of Jesus. Time and time again we read that perpetrators of evil often go undiscovered and are not brought to justice in this world. But Malchus was with those that bound him and led the only one that was good, our Saviour, to Annas and Caiaphas. Malchus stood mute to the miracle performed upon him and the grace of God bestowed to him. Man is an ungrateful creature.  Peter's culpability for his sinfulness deed was remedied by the work of our Lord. Here is just one more example of the sins covered by the love of God bestowed upon His friends.12/7/2005 Elder M. Hoogasian