| As
Passover approached and the pilgrims from far away lands poured
into ancient Jerusalem's city gates by the thousands, a prophet
on a donkey colt with his ragtag followers praising him as the
Messiah spoken of by the scriptures, entered with them. If Malchus
was to believe what Caiaphas was saying, the man on the donkey
was a blasphemer and dangerous false prophet and even worse,
a threat to the current prosperity of th temple.
Soon
Malchus would find himself with an angry mob of chief priests,
Roman soldiers, and temple guards at a quiet olive garden
called Gethsemane to arrest the rebel rouser who had been
causing so much trouble. Suddenly, a suprisingly violent disciple
drew his sword and slashed through the torch-lit night, slicing
off Malchus' ear.
"He
who lives by the sword shall die by the sword," the false
messiah said, just before reaching down to the bloody, agonizing
slave, miraculously restoring his ear, and astonished disbelief
as the imposter was seized and taken away to be executed.
How
can Malchus be silent about what he knows to be true? The
long torturous execution of the real Messiah is happening
before his eyes. How can he speak the truth without finding
himself on a Roman cross? How can he continue to serve the
man responsible for it all, yet as his slave, how can he leave?
What hopes and perils are created by this supposed resurrection
from the dead? And what must Malchus do when he sees the calculating
Caiaphas now turn his gaze on the new believers...and his
own personal slave?
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