As Jesus was praying in the midst of the night, wrestling with God for the redemption of the world, with his disciples sleeping, Judas and the servants of the high council stole cautiously and silently into Jesus’ isolated place, and jumped suddenly with Judas at the head of them. Knowing that Jesus would not oppose the authority, Judas embraced Jesus and kissed him as a brother and a friend.
Jesus did not send the traitor away from him, or slap him on his impudent face, but looked into his eyes, and called him by his name. He scolded his conscience for the last time to save him, and stabbed the depth of his evil, for the traitor hid his intense dislike under the kiss of love, and covered his determined treachery with the sign of friendship and affection. Thus the devilish hypocrisy reached its climax. The devil dwelling in the traitor appeared as a loving brother dressing his lying with the mummy of confidence. Judas did not believe in Jesus’ divinity, but saw only his humanity. If the Lord had stood before him in glory, could he have kissed him as he did? Satan prompted and blinded the poor man. The evil one is known by his false kiss and soft-spoken words that are full of treachery. All men are inclined to follow this example. Jesus stabs us wicked, traitorous hypocrites in our hearts with his question, which he addressed to Judas.
The other disciples, who got up sluggishly from their sleep, knew to some extent that the critical hour had come, and got ready to fight. They were not coward, but moved with urgency to free Christ. Peter did not wait for his Lord’s reply and permission to use the sword, but stroke immediately the first soldier who tried to catch Jesus, thinking that it was impossible to catch Jesus and imprison him. The soldier noticed the shining sword that was aimed at his head, and he soon moved aside. Then the polished edge of the sword cut his right ear, and the blood gushed out.
Immediately Jesus cried out saying to him: "Stop! Bring down the sword, and put it in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Now, my Father’s will to which I submitted myself in my prayer all the night long, while you were asleep, is being fulfilled." Jesus got ready to do God’s will, and did not oppose it; but the disciples were not prepared to oppose the temptation, and fell to self-by-self redemption, defending and fighting. They did not know that the world is redeemed not through violence and murder, but through self-sacrifice and suffering death.
Jesus took the bleeding cut ear in his hand, fastened it on again in its place of his enemy’s head, and it immediately became sound again as it originally was. The bleeding stopped, and the pain disappeared. Moreover, the healed soldier heard the words of his Savior and Healer. Would that those guards recognized this last miracle of Jesus: that Jesus loved his enemies practically to the end. The Lord himself healed those who arrested him. Now, do you understand who Jesus is, and what the depths of his divine love are?
When the disciples saw that the Almighty allowed the soldiers to handcuff his hands and arrest him, they became startled, and fled away. Then many torches were lighted. The high priests, the guard officers, and the elders with their long beards; those who had hid themselves until they became certain of the soldiers’ success in arresting Jesus, moved forward proudly as a victor, and condemningly as a judge.
Jesus spoke to them, as if he were asking them: "Why did you come with spears, swords, and clubs? Do you fear me, or do I look as a robber? Did you not realize my meekness, humility, and love? I stood daily before you teaching in the Temple courtyard, and never sought to conceal myself from you though I knew your intent. So why did you not arrest me there? You are cowards. You need the night to hide your evil work. You were not able to arrest me because my hour had not come yet. But now, you did not actually arrest me, for God is he who allowed you to permitted and delivered me to your hands, and I am agreeable to the planning of his will. Now your malice flows over overtly. This hour is a declaration of your false truth, and a manifestation of your ripeness toward judgment. You are not the doers, but are poor instruments in the hand of your father Satan. He prompts you to abominable action, and you come covered with a veil of godliness, with many lights to light the darkness, while you are in fact spreading the dark night, the horrible injustice, and the banners of hell. Now the power of darkness prevails, and overpowers the truth to cover me. But it will be broken by my meekness, for love and truth are stronger than violence and force."