“…every time a blessing comes,
not with trumpet and fanfare, but silently as night, you have witnessed a
miracle.” ~Faith Baldwin, American author (1893-1978) from Many Windows,
Seasons of the Heart
Adam’s
right leg had been seriously injured in a skiing accident. Simply walking had
been difficult if not impossible. Now, after months of rehab, he was again able
to walk normally, unassisted. The only thing was nobody else knew it. John had
kept his recovery a secret.
Though he knew it wasn’t exactly the right
thing to do, he had become accustomed to the special treatment he received.
Because of his handicap placard he always had a reserved parking space close to
the building. People let him cut in line. He could leave early for lunch and
come back late without scrutiny from the boss. In fact, his boss seemed to be
treating him better and giving him less work since the accident.
Most of all, he liked being able to depart
work “a little early,” since it allegedly took him more time to get to his car.
This, combined with his “special parking place,” assured that he was always the
first one out of the parking lot.
Adam was in his cubicle “doing something
close to nothing, but different than the day before.” As was his habit, he was
nervously fiddling with his wedding ring with his right hand while pecking away
at his computer with his left. His marriage had ended two years earlier, but
the image of a stable married person had been another pretense he had chosen to
maintain. In fact, he had been skiing with his girlfriend when he was injured.
Suddenly, without warning, the ring
flipped out of his hand and rolled out the entrance of his cubicle. It was
heading for an open AC register in the floor along the wall. Instinctively Adam
leapt to his feet and gave chase. Three quick steps and he snatched up the ring
just before it rolled into the register.
“YES!” he barked out triumphantly, holding
his ring-laden fist high in the air. At that moment he felt the weight of many
eyes upon him. Adam realized he was standing completely exposed in the middle
of the open walkway. He looked around. Most of his fellow workers, including
his boss, were peering over or out of the openings of their cubicles; staring
at him.
Adam stared back at them for a moment.
Then he looked down at his legs and back at them again. An instant later, he
shot both fists into the air yelling: “It’s a miracle; I’m cured!!”
One could justifiably call this a “lame
joke,” but it illustrates our sometimes ill-conceived notions about miracles.
Miracles, or what the Bible calls “mighty deeds,” are not God’s magic tricks
intended to astonish, confound and astound us.
Magic tricks leave us with a brief thrill and a touch of skepticism as
we try to figure out: “How did they do that?” Miracles, on the other hand, are
not random acts of manipulation, but significant events with great depth and
meaning – events which deepen our relationship with our Creator.
Most of Jesus’ miracles are healings, but
these “healings” are not simply Jesus curing illnesses. We don’t see him
removing an appendix, doing heart by-pass surgery or stitching up a wound. When
Jesus heals someone, it is done to facilitate their relationship with God. Eyes
are opened so God can be seen. Ears are opened so God’s Word can be heard.
Mouths are opened so the Word of God can be spoken. The lame are cured so they
can walk in the ways of the Lord. The dead are raised and lepers cured so they
can return to the community of believers.
These healings do not happen by chance.
Those who are healed by Jesus ardently pursue Him. The blind beggar Bartimaeus
cries out even though he is told to be quiet. One of the synagogue officials,
named Jairus, risks public humiliation and possible censure by coming to Jesus
in a crowd in broad daylight in order to save his daughter. Four men tear part
of a roof off to lower their paralytic friend to Jesus. In all these examples,
Jesus does not choose them; they choose Jesus and will not be denied.
There is an unwavering faith displayed by
those involved. Our modern era has left us with a plethora of options for just
about everything. If we are sick, we may try a physician or an acupuncturist or
a homeopathic healer or an herbalist. If one thing doesn’t seem to work we try
something else. This isn’t so in the healing stories.
The woman with hemorrhages fights her way
through the crowd believing that all she needs to do is touch the cloak of
Jesus. Mary and Martha cry out “Lord, if you had only been here our brother
would not have died.”
Miracles are not the random acts of a
capricious deity, rather they restore our relationship with a loving God and
our community. We are called to be committed to this relationship.
Miracles only happen to those who believe
in miracles.
Dear God: help me heal someone today.
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