So, the shortened version of the story goes a little bit like this – Jesus had been in Jerusalem all week, ridden in on a donkey, preparing for Passover. He and the disciples had eaten the Last Supper together and found out that Judas was the one to betray Jesus – and for the mere price of a slave (Exodus 21:32; Matthew 26:15). Jesus had told Peter that He would deny him 3 times before sunrise. Jesus prayed desperately in the Garden of Gethsemane that the Father would take the cup of the crucifixion from Him, to the point of sweating blood. His closest companions couldn’t be bothered to even stay awake and pray with Him. Judas points out Jesus to the crew coming to arrest Him with a kiss. They ask if He is Jesus of Nazareth and He responds with I AM, and everyone in the arresting party is knocked to the ground. The disciples are ecstatic because they’re thinking this is the moment the Messiah kicks Herod off the throne, takes His own throne back over Jerusalem, defeats the Romans, and sets up a great empire. And they aren’t one bit afraid (yet), because one, He literally knocked down a ‘great crowd’ with a Word, and two, they know He can raise the dead, so even they are impervious to anything that might befall them as well. Talk about emboldened! But uh….then Jesus just lets them stand back up? Well Peter is nonplussed, He decides to help Jesus out and get the ball rolling, so he cuts off the ear of Malchus, the High Priest’s servant. “And Jesus answered and said, ‘Suffer ye thus far.’ and He touched his ear and healed him (Luke 22:51).” Suffer ye thus far??? What does THAT mean??
Well, turns out, most scholars don’t reallllllly know either, but they have a few very educated musings (for the full dissertation). And, depending on who He is addressing, it could mean a couple different things. Basically though, when you put all of what it could mean together – Jesus is saying Stop. The. Story. This story is about Jesus – He’s in the middle of beginning what is going to be the most atrocious, excruciatingly painful torture that any human has ever been through. (Yes, many others have been martyred, crucified, tortured, and I do not want to minimize that in the least. But, Jesus also had all of the wrath of hell and torment of demons throwing everything they had at Him, plus all of the sins humanity ever committed, past , present, and future on top of all the torture that Man did to Him.) But I digress….
In the midst of His Story, and knowing what is coming, Jesus says Stop The Story. Peter – stop the story – enough of this, put your sword down, stop resorting to violence when you know I can already take them all out with a Word, I will preserve you with what I’m about to do. Guards, priests, pharisees – stop the story – don’t arrest Peter or punish any of my disciples because of what they did, this is about you capturing me, just give me a moment to keep fulfilling what I really came here to do, save and heal people. Malchus – stop the story – don’t worry, calm down, let me heal you, you won’t remain marred so that you can never serve in the temple courts and fulfill your lifelong dream, I’m giving you back your dream and your ear.
Jesus is in the middle of His Story – the Story that all of creation has been waiting for, longing for. The Story that all of the prophets have been talking about, that all of the Old Testament has been pointing to. And Jesus says No. Wait. Stop The Story – I’m stopping my Story because people are hurting and they need me. I’m stopping my Story to think outside of me right now. I’m stopping my Story to step into the story of others. His Story is about saving our story. Stop your story and let that sink in a little.
I’m trying to make a conscious effort to stop my story – to pray immediately when people ask for prayer, to stop and thank God when I think of something I’m grateful for, to stop and thank God for the blessings God has already put in my life when instead I’m feeling like having a pity party.
Will you stop your story? Will you stop your story to give your story to Jesus? It only takes a moment. Jesus healed the man’s ear in what, 2 minutes? 5 minutes? – to save the story of Peter, the disciples, and Malchus. Will you stop your story to give thanks and glory to God for just one blessing in your life?Will you stop your story to actually take 2 minutes to pray for someone who needs prayer, instead of just saying ‘you’re in our prayers.’ Will you stop your story to give a cup of cold water to a little child (Matthew 10:42)? These are the things that pleases the Lord (Ephesians 5:10). Whatever it is you need to stop, stop your story, for just a moment, and get into God’s Story.
Psalm 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God – Stop The Story
In Him – Just a girl pursuing her reflection in the mirror
(For the account of the Last Supper and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before being arrested, see Matthew 26:14-56, Mark 14:10-50, Luke 22:1-53, John 16:25-17:11.)