Reading the Gospels Together The garden/Gethsemane – Part 6 John tells his readers the same story of someone cutting the ear off one of those who come to arrest Jesus – but John provides far more detail. John tells his readers that it is Peter who wields the sword and it is a man named Malchus, the high priest’s slave, whose ear is severed. Like Mark and Matthew, John does not tell his readers that Jesus heals the man – only Luke does that. And Jesus response to Peter’s actions is deeply revealing. Again the emphasis is on Jesus’ submission to arrest and not on the power of those who arrest him. And, when Jesus says to Peter, “Am I not to drink the cup,” readers are immediately mindful of Jesus’ agonizing prayer, “Remove this cup from me!” Likely this is one more clue that John knows the story of the agony in Gethsemane. He knows about the cup and Jesus’ decision to drink it! We have noted earlier that only John tells his readers of a prayer that Jesus’ prayed while the supper was still occurring. There is no prayer here in the garden. Perhaps John was also aware of Jesus praying just prior to his arrest and has moved that prayer back into the meal scene and elaborated upon it changing it beyond recognition. Of course that is very speculative but it is tempting to make this connection. Finally, in Mark and Matthew, Jesus speaks of the desertion of all of his disciples with a special focus on Peter who will deny Jesus three times before the cock crows. Luke has mitigated the desertion on the part of the disciples by limiting it to Peter’s denial and Luke has moved the prediction of Peter’s denial back into the meal scene. Luke does not tell his readers that the disciples fled as Mark and Matthew did – they are simply left hanging in the air. John moves even further away from Mark. John tells his readers that Jesus tells those who arrest him to let the rest of his followers go – and apparently they do! In fact in John’s gospel that they are allowed to go fulfills OT prophecy that Jesus will not lose a single one of those whom he has been given! The disciples do not flee. John is well aware of Peter’s coming denial and will tell that story like the others but there is no story of fleeing followers. John, as we have noticed throughout his gospel, has a far more positive view of the disciples than any other gospel writer.