Lend Me an Ear

Lend Me an Ear
Words of Faith 4-5-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 14
[47] Then, one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
[48] "Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? [49] Every day, I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." [50] Then everyone deserted him and fled.

The way that grace appears is strange. In the confusion of the arrest, one of the Twelve cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. He was an important man, probably the connection between the high priest and the detachment of soldiers from the Temple. John's Gospel tells us that his name was Malchus (John 18:10). Luke tells us that Jesus touched the man's ear and healed it (Luke 22:51). The event tells us something about grace.
Imagine this: the very last healing of Jesus' ministry was once a gift to one who had declared himself an enemy of Jesus. It was a different sort of healing. Everyone else who had been healed by Jesus had asked for healing and had expressed faith in Jesus. But this healing came in the heat of the moment amid sweaty grappling lit only by the flicker of torches. It was a purely undeserved act that served to diffuse the angry confrontation. But what a mighty miracle it was.
It was clear that Jesus was living out the Gospel He had preached. He now made it clear that He was not just blowing smoke when He said: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:27‑-31)." And how powerful that the last miracle recorded was not to a believer's benefit but a blessing to an enemy.

We do not know the broader effect of this miracle. Because John records the name of Malchus, we might suppose that he became well-known in the early Christian movement. Did Malchus trust the Lord for His salvation? We don't know, but it is hard to imagine that he did not. If he did not get to know the Lord, you can be sure his ear would have always bothered him!
If Malchus did come to know the Lord, he had something that even the disciples did not have-- the miracle of a reattached ear. The disciples had seen the power of God in the cleansing of lepers, sight restored to the blind, mobility given to the lame, food multiplied for a crowd, Jesus walking on water, and a transfiguration. But none had been healed personally. Peter's mother-in-law had been healed, but Peter was not. What a testimony it would have been to tell of the day an ear was lopped off and restored just as quickly by the Lord Jesus (who had helped to think up the whole idea of ears)!
But grace is just that way. Grace always goes to the undeserving. Grace often goes to the inattentive. Grace frequently comes when we do not ask because we do not even know to ask.

Lord, I am awed by Your grace that even when I did not want to hear, You were speaking to me; even when I did not see, You illuminated my way. You have reached out to heal me, and I do not deserve such grace. Thank You, Lord, for giving me ears to hear when I was an enemy of God. Thank You, Lord, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.