18. The Last Miracle
Unlike Jesus' first miracle when he changed many large jars of water into wine, or the succeeding miracles and signs he performed such as the feeding of the huge crowds that followed him, his last miracle may seem small by comparison; yet it is just as indicative of his nature as any of the acts of compassion carried out during his ministry. In some ways, this small miracle may show his nature even more than the others.
All the gospels describe the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion, and all of them describe the fact that in the tense moments of the arrest one of Jesus' followers drew a sword and struck a servant of the high priest, a man named Malchus, severing his ear. John's Gospel reveals that it was the impetuous Peter who did this, and who was stopped from further violence by Jesus (John 18:10).
It is unlikely that Peter was aiming specifically at the servant's ear, and the injury was probably sustained when Peter swung the sword at the man's head and Malchus ducked – narrowly avoiding death, but sustaining the loss or partial loss of his ear.
It would not be surprising if this non-life-threatening injury had been ignored in the turmoil that must have accompanied Jesus' arrest, but Luke adds a detail in this regard which none of the other gospel writers has. Luke tells us that Jesus "…touched the man's ear and healed him" (Luke 22:51). Miracles Have Contexts We must see this miracle in context. Jesus knew the terrible death that awaited him and had only just finished the agonizing prayer in which his sweat was "like drops of blood" (Luke 22:44). When the soldiers and officers of the high priest came upon him in the dark and tumult of the arrest, Jesus' mind must have been full of what was happening and what was about to happen to him. Humanly, anyone in this situation would hardly be thinking about one of the arresting group being hurt in the disturbance.
Yet the mind of Christ was such that even within that dark and emotionally tumultuous night, despite the shouting, running and confusion that clearly ensued, Jesus noticed the one who had been injured, focused on that and sought the man out, using his last miracle to help an enemy before he chose to forgo any further use of the divine power at his disposal in order to endure the things he knew he must suffer.
The many miracles and signs wrought by Jesus during his human ministry showed his compassion and care for others, but these were done in times of relative quiet and security. In Jesus' last miracle, even as he was led away to his death, he still showed the love that placed his own needs, his own self, not first, but last.
The miracle of Malchus is one which teaches all of us a lesson. To truly walk in the footsteps of the One we follow we must remember that important opportunities to help others may occur when it is natural for our minds to be on our own problems rather than on the problems of others. But at times like that, if we can still keep others foremost in our minds, we too can serve with the same spirit that guided the last miracle of Jesus.
PART FOUR:
SERMONS
Even more characteristically associated with the life of Jesus than the miracles he performed, his teachings form the very basis of the Christian faith. Some of these teachings were given in the course of everyday life, but the majority that have been preserved for us were given in the form of sermons (or "discourses" as theologians often call them) which included announcements, stories, parables, and discussions of the law. These sermons were delivered in both formal settings such as synagogues and informal ones such as open mountainsides, but all contain details that can help us better understand the message of Jesus …