Part of the reason this...
Illustration
Object:
Part of the reason this Good Friday gospel speaks to us is because of the way it is told. We would tell a story like this. This is not a fantasy tale in stylized language and glowing detail; this is a story for the laypeople. Simon Peter cuts off a man's ear. The newly earless man is named Malchus. Incidentally, Peter runs into Malchus' cousin later in the evening. Is it really necessary that we know Malchus' name, or that we know Peter ran into his cousin? No. But it gives the story an everyday feel. My son punched Joey Lewis at school the other day, and I had to sit by Joe Lewis Sr., at the company meeting this afternoon. Those are the kind of stories we're used to. Little coincidences and not always pleasant ones. We can understand how Peter feels, because Malchus' cousin is just like Joe Lewis Sr., at that company meeting. The details convince us that this story is true, is there, is as frightening as it sounds, and because we accept the details, we can begin to accept Jesus' unbelievable sacrifice.
