Who's Malchus?

There's a story told in all four of the Gospels in which a large crowd armed with swords and clubs comes to arrest Jesus. This is a scary situation, and Jesus' followers are obviously anxious and do not know what to do. One of them reacts violently. In order to save his teacher and friend from being arrested, he is willing to draw his own sword and start swinging. He hits a man named Malchus, who is a servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Malchus obviously approves of arresting Jesus, may even know that Jesus will be killed the next day, and he's there to report to his bosses what happened.

He is one of the many different faces who oppose Jesus in their own way.

In reaction, Jesus stops the violence, picks up Malchus' ear, and heals him. Instead of reacting against Malchus and the others in this crowd with a show of force ("my daddy can beat up your daddy" (Mt. 27:53)), Jesus chooses to restore the world. He chooses to "drink the cup" his father has given him (Jn. 18:11).

The restoration--the breaking in of the Kingdom of God into our world--takes place in a small way here with the healing of Malchus. Instead of reacting against violent men in a violent way, Jesus offers something else. This is a better way in a world full of swords.

What does this mean for us in our world? What swords do we swing when we're scared? How can we, instead, assist God in bringing restoration to our world?

What does it look like for me to heal Malchus?