The servant's ear

My friend the nurse practitioner treated a badly infected ear a few days ago. The physician with whom she works examined it and said that the infection needed to be lanced.

Looking at the ear reminded the doctor of Luke 22:49-51 (New International Version). Roman soldiers and others came to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus. "When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, 'Lord, should we strike with our swords?' And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

"But Jesus answered, 'No more of this! And he touched the man's ear and healed him."

Doctor said that not only did Jesus heal the man’s ear, he preserved the servant’s job. Lev. 21:17 and 22-23 say, "Say to Aaron: 'For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. … He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the LORD, who makes them holy. ' "

Because of this command, a man with a missing ear could not have come near the altar of God.

Jesus restored the servant’s ear to preserve his position, but he has done so much more for us. We serve the High Priest, Jesus Christ (Heb. 21-22): [H]e became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.' "Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”

But not only do we serve him, we are also priests under him. I Peter 2:9-10: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

How can we, the imperfect humans that we are, become faultless priests?

Because our acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice has made us perfect.

Have you accepted that sacrifice?

If not, please do so today.