Shall I Not Drink The Cup?

John 18:10-14

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?"
Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

The servants name was Malchus. You would think — given a moments thought — that this information was irrelevant, why give the man’s name, when no other of the officers and troops were accorded such consideration? The reason that any name is given in scripture is because it has a bearing on the truth, and Malchus has a name meaning king or kingdom. Immediately Malchus becomes more than relevant; he becomes essential, and we see why Jesus reprimanded the impetuous Peter for cutting off poor Malchus’s right ear.

The symbolism — indeed Jesus’ message to us all here — is of forgiveness and of not putting a barrier to another’s hearing of the kingdom. Do we, by our actions, prevent another from hearing the kingdom message? By ‘standing up for Jesus’, do we get in the way of what our Lord is saying, or doing?

Jesus says "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" — in other words, ‘do not get in the way of My work.’ We must let Jesus Christ have His way. His way is not our way; but His way gets results.

Matthew 26:52-54 says But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"

Mark 14:47-48 says Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."

Luke 22:51-53 says But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." And He touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

At this point, both Matthew and Mark report that the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. We can see that, had Peter’s bold action succeeded in whatever the purpose was, it would have put an obstacle in the way of the plan of God. The allusion is that Peter was frustrating the hearing of the truth of the kingdom message, potentially frustrating Jesus’ purpose. But as we see, The Lord’s will prevails in all circumstances. We must not stand in the way of another hearing about the Kingdom of God, lest they say ‘Shall I not drink the cup which my Father has given me?’

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Meditate On These Things

EXODUS 15:26
… "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."
MARK 4:22-23
For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

HEAR THE CALL OF THE KINGDOM — Keith and Kristyn Getty

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A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FAITH
— What God says about THE WORLD --

JEREMIAH HAD TO minister to a people who became worse and worse because he ministered to them. It is incorporated into us that we are to succeed for God. In the New Testament there is no such notion, only faithfulness to Jesus Christ. God has His own purposes which we do not know, and our purpose is to see that we remain steadfastly faithful to Him.
[from ‘Notes on Jeremiah’]

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