imjim
March-18th-2008, 03:02 PM
One of the more remarkable healings performed by Jesus, at least for me, was the restoring of the high priests servant’s ear cut off by Peter. While compared to walking on the water or raising the dead, the phenomenon of an ear restoration may appear small, the implications behind the event are astounding.
Jesus had just spent hour upon hour, in great mental turmoil, battling a desire to not go through with the crucifixion. A mental agony severe enough to cause Hematidrosis (sweating blood). Then Peter jumps to the forefront defending Jesus right to a peaceful human existence - striking with a sword. The temptation for Jesus to succumb to that human sense of revenge and do battle, must have been incredible.
I cannot think of any other healing Jesus performed with circumstances having as direct an attack on his personhood as this one. Nor can I conceive of a more timely instance that the human mind could call for for justification of personal revenge. The man was there to take him to be tortured and killed, and Jesus knew that.
To rise above the humanly justifiable animal instincts - blatantly presented by Peter - to a higher sense of purpose and the greater Good was a truly incredible feat. Yet, despite knowing what he faced by not fighting, Jesus followed through with his highest sense of right and healed the situation, refusing to mar his own demonstration, experience, and reflection of Love. Amazing.
Healing the ear was really an insignificant part of the matter. The real healing consisted in the overcoming of revenge, deceit, animal courage, self-will, and self-justification. It is a remarkable demonstration and example of what Love, lived, truly is.
That said, I’d like to hear others experiences and insights to events in the Bible.
Jesus had just spent hour upon hour, in great mental turmoil, battling a desire to not go through with the crucifixion. A mental agony severe enough to cause Hematidrosis (sweating blood). Then Peter jumps to the forefront defending Jesus right to a peaceful human existence - striking with a sword. The temptation for Jesus to succumb to that human sense of revenge and do battle, must have been incredible.
I cannot think of any other healing Jesus performed with circumstances having as direct an attack on his personhood as this one. Nor can I conceive of a more timely instance that the human mind could call for for justification of personal revenge. The man was there to take him to be tortured and killed, and Jesus knew that.
To rise above the humanly justifiable animal instincts - blatantly presented by Peter - to a higher sense of purpose and the greater Good was a truly incredible feat. Yet, despite knowing what he faced by not fighting, Jesus followed through with his highest sense of right and healed the situation, refusing to mar his own demonstration, experience, and reflection of Love. Amazing.
Healing the ear was really an insignificant part of the matter. The real healing consisted in the overcoming of revenge, deceit, animal courage, self-will, and self-justification. It is a remarkable demonstration and example of what Love, lived, truly is.
That said, I’d like to hear others experiences and insights to events in the Bible.