40 Days of MiraclesSample

Jesus Heals a Servant's Severed Ear While He is Arrested

Jesus performs this miracle amid chaos while being betrayed by one of His best friends and with men wanting to arrest Him. Talk about performing under pressure. He heals the servant's ear that one of His followers cut off. His disciples would have heard His teachings, seen the miracles He performed, and would know of His message, "Love your enemies." Yet their immediate response was: an eye for an eye. Jesus quickly shuts this down and says, "No more of this." How often do we, as His followers, act wrongly in the name of Jesus? The crowd thought they were defending Jesus and doing the right thing, but their actions contradicted who He is and what He teaches. This miracle is one of the most courageous acts of Jesus. He healed one of the ones sent to betray and arrest Him.

Questions for Reflection

• What part of Jesus' character shows through in this miracle?
• What can we learn from Jesus' response to the crowd demanding justice through violence?
• How can we take the heart of this miracle and apply it to our lives today?