Loving Heart

Mothers love their children. A folklore speaks of a mother, a son, and his mean wife. On an occasion, the son promised his wife he would do whatever made her happy. Since she didn’t like her mother-in-law, she wanted him to kill his mother and bring her heart on a silver platter. The son was distraught. Yet, wanting to fulfill his promise, he told his mother his predicament. She said, “Son, I want you to be happy. So kill me and take my heart to your wife.” With great sadness, the son killed his mother and took her heart. As he was going to give that to his wife as a present, he tripped and fell. Immediately, the mother’s heart said, “Are you okay, son?”

On the Mt of Olives, we see a betraying son and the love of a parent to him and another inflicted.

“While Jesus was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve disciples, led them. Nearing Jesus, he kissed him. Jesus said to him: Judah, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (22:47–48)

Just like the son who killed his mother to please his wife, Judas kissed Jesus to betray him to the crowd of religious leaders. The other eleven weren’t happy with him or the crowd and asked,

“Lord, should we strike them with the sword” (22:49)

Earlier, they said they had two swords. But now, they have just one! While the eleven asked,

“One of them struck and cut off the high priest’s servant’s right ear.” (22:50)

Other Gospels inform their reader Peter was that fellow. But Luke didn’t, perhaps because he didn’t want Theophilus, a leading lawyer in Rome, to know about the leading apostle in Rome.

Most likely, however, Peter wasn’t aiming for the high priest’s servant but for Judas since Jesus said to them,

“‘You leave this one alone.’ Then, Jesus touched and healed the servant’s ear.” (22:51)

What I’ve translated literally—“You leave this one alone”—scholars translate figuratively, meaning, “No more of this!” (NIV and ESV), “Enough of this” (NET), and “Suffer ye thus far.” But I like my interpretation—the disciples went after the betrayer, Judas, or the high priest’s servant and missed!

Jesus, like the loving mother, cared for Judas and the high priest’s servant. He wanted the disciples to leave Judas alone, and he healed the high priest’s servant’s year.

Moses’s law forbade mutilated people from serving in the temple. This high priest’s servant wouldn’t have been a menial servant, a “slave”; he would have been his temple attendant. If he were mutilated, he wouldn’t be able to serve in the temple. Priests and servants of the temple lived off the offerings and sacrifices. He would no longer have any income if he lost his job as the high priest’s servant. His family would starve to death. Jesus prevented that. His heart bled for him.

Often, we want to retaliate against Judas-es or servants. Love, kindness, protection, and healing are Jesus’s ways; they should also be ours.