And when those who were around Him saw what would follow, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And He touched his ear and healed him. (Luke 22:49-51)

This tiny detail in the story of Jesus' arrest always makes me feel like crying. It's the last miracle of healing we know of that Jesus ever performed on earth. He healed a man's ear—and that man was His enemy, someone sent to arrest Him.

I wonder what came of this later. As far as we know, nobody got out a warrant for Peter's arrest for wounding the high priest's servant. No doubt it would have been hard to prove, with the evidence gone! But that's not why Jesus did it.

He did it for love—because this man, whose name was Malchus, was precious to Him. He didn't want to see him in pain. Malchus was someone He came to save. Jesus would die for Malchus, and for all the rest of us, the very next day. But for now He reaches out to do this last little thing to help him, because He loves him.

I'm guessing Malchus had a sleepless night after that, wondering about Jesus. What kind of man does such a thing? Malchus almost certainly wound up in the baby Christian church, a believer in Jesus—which is why John mentions his name (see John 18:10). I suspect he told the story of Jesus' last healing for the rest of his life.

WE PRAY: Dear Lord, thank You for loving Your enemies, including me—and making us into Your own dear family. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

* Do you think Malchus' family believed his story?

* What kinds of feelings do you think went through his mind as he lay awake that night?

* When has God showed you a kindness you desperately needed?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Today's Bible Readings: Deuteronomy 8-10    Luke 4:1-30

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