In his seventh song in the Passíusálmar, Hallgrímur Pétursson wrote about the arrest of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter, completely misunderstanding the mission of Jesus, drew his sword and struck off the ear of the servant Malchus. Jesus rebuked him, healed Malchus, and humbly took up his cross, saying "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"In the example of Jesus, we see how we are to live as Christians in the midst of our foes, drinking our apportioned cup. Let us pray this hymn:
And take it well to heart;
Do not resist aggression,
Do not defend thy part.
Agents of higher powers
Bear not the sword in vain,
But vengeance is not ours,
Thus did the Lord ordain.
[….]
When thine own cause defending,
The sword thou shalt not draw,
Alone on Him depending –
This is the Master’s law.
Suffer, like Him, in meekness,
Commit thy cause to God,
And in Thy presence kneeling:
Oh, Master, touch my ear!
Lord, forgive me for my wrath. Create in me a clean and peaceful spirit so that we may be instruments of healing, not hacking. Remind me to love my enemy and bless those who curse me, for they are your beloved children. As you healed the ear of Malchus, Master, heal our savage hearts. Amen.
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