NOTE: My three-week series of short stories surrounding the ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus continues this week. These stories are fictional first-person accounts of three different men who encountered and responded to Jesus in very different ways. My prayer is that, through the stories, you will see Jesus and be reminded of the Good News of Easter.
The Rich Young Ruler (Reuben’s Story) – March 17
The Servant (Malchus’s Story) – This week – March 24
The Brother (Jude’s Story) – March 31
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My name is Malchus. My father is a servant to the High Priest Ananus ben Seth, whom you know as Annas. He served Rabbi Annas from the days before he became high priest, and from the days before I was born. I was six years old when our family moved with Rabbi Annas and his family into the palace of the high priest. Of course, we lived in the servants’ quarters while they lived in the palace.
Though there was never any question that I was the child of a servant – which also made me a servant – children in a palace tend to find one another. The high priest’s oldest daughter, Leah, was a year younger than I was. Though she and I were not the only two children in the palace, we were close in age so it was inevitable that we would play together.
We were both very inquisitive. Together, we would often explore the less frequented rooms in the palace, like the underground cells used to hold those who had been arrested and brought before the high priest for questioning. On rare occasions, we would escape and explore the nearby hills.
Though I never lost sight of her station in life – or mine – we developed a childhood friendship. As I reflect back, it would probably be more accurate to say a loyalty instead of a friendship. And truth be told, it was me extending my loyalty toward her in response to the kindness she extended to me. That unique relationship between us would end up setting the direction for much of my life as I grew into adulthood.
After serving as high priest for nine years, Annas was replaced by Ishmael ben Phabi. Since we were servants to the person and not the position, when Annas moved out of the palace into a large home nearby, our family moved with him. I was fifteen at the time.
Given my age, I now had responsibilities as a servant under my father’s charge. He was training me with the skills to one day become a household manager like himself. He rotated me through all of the positions of service within the household to give me a proper understanding of each servant’s responsibilities.
Though I had long known Leah for her kindness, I had also known her father for his sternness. He was one of the youngest men to ever become high priest. Annas had begun the climb for that position at an early age. He was an ambitious man who let little stand in his way.
It was a well-known fact that Annas resented the Roman prefect Valerius Gratus’s decision to remove him as high priest. The prefect feared that Annas’s power over the people could lead to insurrection, so he instituted a new law that a high priest could serve for only one year. Annas looked for ways he could continue to retain – and increase – his power, even under this new ruling. One of those ways was to influence the prefect to choose one of his sons to assume the role. But soon, he ran out of sons.
For several years, he had been mentoring Joseph ben Caiaphas for the role. Caiaphas was an ambitious man, just like Annas, and he was a diligent apprentice. Annas knew that his power was at risk if the prefect chose someone who was not under his control. He knew that the annual selection of a new high priest had to be stopped. He eventually convinced all of the members of the high council that the practice was detrimental to their rule.
And he also recommended that they encourage the prefect to choose Caiaphas as the next high priest. Since Caiaphas was not his relative, even those who were cautious of Annas’s motives agreed. As a unanimous body, they petitioned the prefect, who in turn acquiesced to their political pressure. Caiaphas was appointed to the role, and there was no longer a limitation as to the length of time which he could serve.
Though Caiaphas was already greatly influenced by Annas, the ever-crafty older man knew he still needed to strengthen their relationship even further. What better way than for Caiaphas to marry Leah? The fact that she was an attractive and desirable woman made the union even more enticing. So, Leah became Caiaphas’s wife, and Annas became his father-in-law, maintaining – and perhaps even increasing – his power and influence over the people of Israel.
When Caiaphas’s new bride moved into the high priest’s palace with him, he found that he needed to staff his household differently. He needed a more capable household manager. Leah quickly recommended me to her husband, and Annas further affirmed the choice. It gave Leah a friendly face in the palace, and it gave Annas another set of watchful eyes in the high priest’s home. Annas never questioned that my loyalty to him would be any less than my father’s.
It was a great honor for me to again be a servant of the high priest – and this time I wasn’t the household manager’s son, I was the household manager of the most powerful Jew in Israel, except perhaps his father-in-law. It was with great pride that I stepped into this role. I sought to please my master, his wife, my father, and the one to whom I believed I owed the most – Annas.
But another member of the family soon stole all of our hearts. During their fourth year of marriage, Leah gave birth to her baby daughter, Rachel. She soon became the apple of her father’s eye, and the only time I ever saw any tenderness in Annas’s demeanor was when his granddaughter was nearby.
My rule of the household, under the authority of my master, was without question. And as time went on, I became well-known throughout the city. The people afforded me respect. I eventually lost sight of the fact that their respect was out of fear and not because I had earned it. They knew I was the eyes and ears of the high priest. They also knew if I observed any disloyalty to him I would report it straightaway – and they knew his retaliation would be swift. As the years went by, that fear grew among the enemies of Caiaphas, as well as his friends.
In recent years, a Man from Nazareth named Jesus began to make quite a name for Himself. He came on the scene at the age of thirty. Up until then He lived an obscure life. He was quickly recognized as a gifted Teacher. Jesus had a command of the Scriptures that was said to surpass that of Hillel the Elder, not to mention my master or his father-in-law. But His notoriety went beyond even that. Numerous people said He was a Miracle Worker – able to make the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk.
Three years ago, He came to the temple to observe the Feast of Passover. When He entered the temple, He overturned the money-changers’ tables, drove out the merchants, and shouted, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”(1)
That evening, my master and his father-in-law were discussing the Man’s actions and their ramifications. Annas was quick to point out that this Man had no authority within the temple. Who did He think He was to take such action? Caiaphas had placed Annas in charge of the merchants’ activities in the temple. Those merchants were acting under his authority! Who was this Man to question that?
What’s more, He had cost them quite a bit of money that day – between the damage and the disruption. But even more importantly, the high council had questioned whether Jesus’s actions were, in fact, correct. A number of the members had apparently spoken up saying they, too, questioned the practice but had been reluctant to say anything.
They all agreed that the merchants should conduct their trade out in the stoa – which had been built for that purpose – so the decision was made that the merchants would not return. That caused Caiaphas and Annas great chagrin, but both men knew they would look for a future opportunity to set this straight!
The discussion then turned to the Man Himself. Where did He come from? What did they know about Him? What was He planning to do? They decided to investigate Him further.
As I entered the hall where the two men were speaking, my master called to me. “Malchus, I have a job for you. You are more than a servant to me. You are a trusted ally. One on whom I know I can depend. There is a Man who threatens everything that we believe. He places Himself above the authorities that were established by the patriarchs Moses and Aaron themselves. He is a troublemaker.
“I am certain that He will remain in the city for the remainder of the festival. I want you to inconspicuously go to the temple and into the streets and listen to what this Man has to say. Listen for any statement He makes that is contrary to our laws – or to Roman laws. He is a threat to us and our way of life. He will make a mistake, and I will be grateful to you when you help us catch Him!”
I did as my master directed me. I was confident I would hear something that I could report back to him. But as the week continued, I heard no such thing. Everything He spoke appeared to be consistent with the Scriptures – at least from a servant’s point of view. I listened as He responded to questions from the scribes and Pharisees. Each question seemed to be designed to surface Jesus’s treachery.
But He appeared too smart to step into their traps. He responded to each one in a way that turned the question of who was truly following the Scriptures back on His questioners. However, I remained confident that it was just a matter of time before Jesus made a mistake.
Each day I also saw Him perform miracles. I was certain there were reasonable explanations for each one. I vowed I would discover what tricks He was using. But the week ended with nothing for me to report back to my master. Jesus left the city, and I turned my complete attention back to managing the household.
In the years that followed, whenever Jesus returned to Jerusalem, my master would send me to be his ear, listening for Jesus to make a mistake. The Passover is now upon us again. As usual, I have heard many hushed conversations about Jesus between my master and his father-in-law.
Recently, I heard them agree to bring the merchants back into the courtyard of the temple. They knew Jesus had returned to the city. As a matter of fact, everyone knew Jesus had returned. It was quite a spectacle when He rode into the city on the donkey’s colt the other day. The crowd seemed prepared to crown Him as king. My master and Annas were quite upset. They said if they didn’t do something now it would be too late. They would lose their positions. I feared for my master.
The two men decided that Jesus would unquestionably react to the merchants being back in the courtyard. When He did, they would charge Him with taking action in the temple without proper authority. Apparently, many of the members of the high council who had supported Jesus’s actions three years ago no longer felt the same way. A growing number were becoming concerned about their own survival. The high priest now had the votes in the high council to convict Jesus over the question of His authority.
I was in the temple on Monday morning. Jesus did not disappoint. He chased the merchants out of the temple. To be honest, He didn’t need to exert much force – they were all expecting Him to act this way! I saw my master and his father-in-law in a corner of the courtyard. They appeared quite pleased that their plan had succeeded. I was somewhat surprised that they chose not to confront Jesus there and then.
It was Tuesday morning before they did so. But Jesus again slyly evaded their question by asking them, “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”(2)
When the Pharisees refused to answer His question, He refused to answer theirs. They had been unsuccessful in closing the trap around their prey again! I saw my master’s look of disgust as he and his father-in-law turned and walked away.
I stayed and listened to Jesus for a while. But this time wasn’t any different. He didn’t say anything that would give my master what he needed to discredit Jesus. I left while He was still speaking to attend to other matters at the palace.
Later that night when my master returned home, I expected him to be in a foul mood. But surprisingly, he seemed quite beside himself. While the servants were serving him and Leah their dinner, I heard him explain to her that one of Jesus’s disciples had come to them that afternoon offering to deliver Jesus into their hands. They still weren’t sure how they would present charges against Him, but they were confident that once He was arrested some of His followers would turn against Him and testify against His treachery. My master seemed very pleased with himself – and I was pleased for him.
Tonight is the eve of Passover. My master came to me earlier tonight and said, “Malchus, gather the other male servants. Take torches, swords, and clubs. Gather in the courtyard outside the palace and accompany the temple guards and Roman soldiers. Tonight, you all will arrest Jesus and bring Him to me! Our long wait is over. Just like always, you are my ear tonight. Go and report back to me all that happens!”
As we assembled in the courtyard, I approached the captain of the temple guard. There was another man standing with him. I did not know him, but I knew I had seen him before. “Malchus, “the captain said, “this is Judas. He will lead us to the place where we will arrest Jesus!” Yes, that’s where I had seen him. He is one of the followers of Jesus! I was surprised that he was willing to help us. Judas, the captain, and I led the soldiers and the servants as we set out on our mission.
We marched across the Kidron Valley toward the Mount of Olives. As we drew closer, it appeared we were headed to the Garden of Gethsemane. With each step, I grew conflicted. I was proud that my master had entrusted me with this responsibility. Tonight, I would finally defend my master and put an end to this interloper’s treachery against him. But somehow, Jesus had never seemed that treacherous to me!
Our torches were casting eerie shadows as we got near the garden. Suddenly, men who apparently were sleeping began to stir as they heard us approach. These were some of Jesus’s followers. Judas didn’t seem to be very interested in them. He had another prize in his sights. The captain told some of the guards to stay there and watch those men while the rest of us continued on.
My heart was pounding. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I had my club ready to swing at anyone who made a move. We had no idea how His followers would react. Obviously, we had caught them by surprise, but now they were fully aware of our presence.
Then I saw Him! He was right there in front of us. As Judas walked up to Jesus, I heard him loudly say, “Rabbi!” and then he greeted Him with a kiss. Jesus responded by saying, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”(3) Immediately the captain of the guard told the soldiers and the temple guards to take hold of Jesus and arrest Him.
Suddenly, one of the men with Jesus – a little older, a little bigger, and a little burlier than the rest – drew his sword. He was standing in front of me, just a little to my right. I raised my club to knock his sword out of his hand. But the man was quicker than I was. I felt his blade slice off my ear.
I dropped my club and clutched the right side of my head. My ear was no longer there. As blood poured down my neck, my knees buckled, and I dropped to the ground. I looked down and saw my cloak was already covered in blood. My severed ear was there on the ground. My head started to spin, and I knew at any moment I was going to black out.
I heard someone shout, “No more of this! Put away your sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask My Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and He would send them instantly?”(4)
Then I sensed someone kneeling in front of me. It was Jesus! He reached down and picked up my ear, then placed His hand on the side of my face. Instantly the pain stopped! What was Jesus doing? He took His hand away, and I immediately raised mine. My ear was back in place – right where it was supposed to be! I was no longer bleeding! Had I imagined my ear being cut off? I looked down again at my cloak soaked in blood. No, I had not imagined it.
Jesus was still there kneeling before me. I looked into His eyes. Here I was on a mission to arrest Him. But He wasn’t looking at me with hatred or contempt – all I saw in His eyes were gentleness and kindness. This Man I despised because of what I thought was His betrayal of my master was anything but treacherous. He had shown me mercy. He had shown me compassion. He had healed my pain. I mouthed the words, “Thank You.” But they were so inadequate. I began to tremble before Him.
It all lasted only seconds, but it left an indelible print on my heart and in my mind. As I looked at the faces of those around me, they, too, were looking on in disbelief. But then I saw the captain of the guard reach down, take Jesus by the hand, and jerk Him to His feet. As I knelt there, they tied ropes around Jesus’s wrists. The man who had cut off my ear, and all the rest of Jesus’s followers, had run away. The guards looked conflicted over whether or not they should chase after them.
I heard Jesus say, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary that you come with swords and clubs to arrest Me? Why didn’t you arrest Me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns. And since I am the One you want, let these others go.”(5)
Either the captain agreed with Him, or he didn’t have orders to arrest the others – so he commanded the soldiers and servants to take Jesus and go. In a few minutes I was left kneeling there all by myself. The chaos had vanished, and I was left alone in silence.
I was torn about what to do. My master had ordered me to return and report to him about the arrest of the treacherous One. But I now knew Jesus was not the one who was treacherous, my master was! And I now had a new Master. The wrong one had just been arrested. I wasn’t sure what to do next, but I knew I could not continue living my life as I had before. It was time to say goodbye to a childhood friend. It was time to say goodbye to my father. He would never understand what I was about to do. And, of course, it was time to say goodbye to my former master.
I am no longer the ear of Caiaphas; I now listen to the One who stood before me.
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This story is excerpted from The One Who Stood Before Us. The complete collection of forty short stories is now available through Amazon in standard print, large print, and for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy.
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In multiple instances the dialogue in this story comes directly from Scripture. Whenever i am quoting Scripture, it has been italicized. The Scripture references are as follows:
(1) John 2:16
(2) Mark 11:30
(3) Luke 22:48
(4) Matthew 26:52-53
(5) Matthew 26:55-56
Copyright © 2021 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.
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