Why Malchus?

I've been asked a couple times why my site is Malchus.net and the answer is simple - Malchus.com was taken.

Malchus is the name identified in the gospel of John as the servant of the high priest whose ear was cut off by Simon-Peter in the garden during Jesus's arrest. The gospels indicate that Jesus then healed Malchus's ear rather than put the old one back on. John also specifies that it was Malchus's right ear that was severed.

Why is this important? Malchus was a servant of the high priest, Ciaphus. The tradition of the day would have dictated that Malchus have a ring through his right earlobe.

At the beginning of his servitude to the high priest an awl would have been used on his ear against the doorpost of the high priest's house. Once pierced, a ring of metal - possibly gold - was put through the hole and fused together by heat. Malchus was a servant of the high priest for life.

When Peter cut off the servant's ear he essentially severed the symbol of Malchus's servitude to the high priest. Peter was more likely aiming to behead the kid. Jesus then - rather than picking up the old ear and putting it on - formed a new one, this time without the ring. Jesus's healing of Malchus was the last miracle He performed before His crucifixion.

Now you know who Malchus is but why Malchus? Why is that the name of my blog?

In 1994 I was cast in the outdoor musical drama, The Promise. I was 16 and had varied experience in theater but this was a big deal to me. It was a five month commitment of my weekends and it was the first time I got paid for any sort of dramatic performance.

During rehearsals I thought for sure that my being cast had been a mistake. I remember watching the veterans of the show that I recognized from having seen it the prior season and I really felt in over my head. (This is similar to how I feel right now in Impact195.)

The director - the endlessly talented Michael Meece - had lined up all the new talent along the stage and was going down the line assigning bit parts to people. He got to me and I recall he raised his clipboard in front of his face and consulted with Wendy*, the wardrobe designer.

Finally the director pulled me aside and sent me to hang with the actors portraying Pharisees. In life this is a horrible place to be but on stage it was a bit of a featured role - a villain none the less!

After a few hours of rehearsal as a Pharisee the director then pulled me out of the group and put me back in the chorus. I thought I'd been found out as an amateur but he then explained that he had a special roll in mind for me.

I was to play Malchus - the servant of the high priest. He sent me back to wardrobe where Wendy measured me up for a new piece. I was the first person to play Malchus in the 6 year history of The Promise. Up to that point they'd had the part portrayed by an anonymous Roman soldier which was neither biblically nor historically correct.

I played Malchus that year and most of the next in Glen Rose. I also portrayed Malchus in Branson, Missouri and for the second tour of The Promise in Moscow, Russia. The Promise was simultaneously the beginning of my professional career and a calling in my life to express God's salvation.

In 1998 when I discovered how to purchase domain names I had no second thought to what my site should be. Of course the .com was taken but Malchus.net was available! It has been my domain since and my email address has been Benjamin@ ever since too.

I hope this answers the questions as to why this site, now a blog, is set at Malchus.net. In 2005 when I was faced with the possibility of going to the middle east to make what would become my documentary, A Journey To Iraq, I used the domain as a hub to keep informed those who supported me in prayer and financially.

And now you know the rest of the story.


* "Wendy the witty wild wacky wonderful wardrobe woman"