Gospels wrap-up - points of view

One of the parts that has always stood out to me (way before this phase of study) was the injuring and healing of Malchus. I suppose initially it just stood out for the gore: ear comes off, ear goes back on.

Later (closer to now, but I might have thought of it before), is that only one of the gospels tells us about the ear going back on. It speaks a lot to who Jesus was that even at the time of his arrest -- after the suffering in Gethsemane and after finding his companions had fallen asleep on him again -- his priorities are not just keeping his friends safe, but even healing one of those who is presenting as an enemy.

(I would say it says something about his enemies that this show of mercy and power didn't stop him, but he had been compassionately and miraculously healing all along; there was never any reason to think that one more would make a difference.)

After confirming that the healing is only mentioned in one place, I started noticing the other differences in each telling.

First of all, only John names names. Everyone identifies that it was a servant of the high priest, but only John knows his name, and only John tells us that it was Peter doing the smiting.

It makes sense that John knows more if we assume that he is the disciple known to the high priest who got himself and Peter let into the hall (John 18:15-16). That puts them in a position to know more about the trial, and about Peter's denial.

At the same time, some of those details end up in all of the other gospels. Of course they spoke to each other, but the person catching the others up may not remember everything. Even if several listeners hear the same telling, different things stand out. The one who included the healing was Luke, the physician. Maybe that detail meant more to him.

There is a part of me that wonders if maybe the reason the others didn't name Peter is that they were afraid of making him look bad. In the end they had all been told not to fight it.

That is only speculation. Even with knowing that transcription and translation can affect what I read, I do love the Bible, and especially the gospels. I find value in them. Going through them so carefully this time has had value, and it has still not completed my learning. I know that.

I do want to point out that remembering different things, or noticing a difference, is very human. Some of the differences may point to different personalities or passions, which we can only guess at, but in our day it means that we can get different lessons for different times, even with no new material being added. The new is in us.

I often want to know things that are left out, but I am grateful for what we have.

Actually, John has something helpful to say about that as well:

"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:25)

Amen to that.