We live in “modern times”.
Quite amusing isn’t it?
How many times have I not seen the exact same phrase used in previous generations? Everyone who has ever lived believes that they live in the most informed and hence most intelligent period of man’s history. How very conceited. Volume of available data never contributes to wisdom; one merely has to look at the “founding fathers” of the American constitution to see how much remarkable thinking was generated by “so little” literature.
Empirical thinking seems to be the “only way” in our current times. Rational thinking is the “supreme” method. Yet I have heard it said that this is the most gullible society in all ages, strange when one considers the unimaginable volume of information at our fingertips.
I certainly suffered from that delusion of superiority when I was growing up as a teenager, in the late 1970’s. I was convinced that my schooling was the pinnacle of education in South Africa, East London had the finest schools and the best curriculum of all the provinces. You cannot imagine my utter astonishment when once I was rummaging through my Dad’s old papers when he studied to be a pilot in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. I found a page of trigonometric formulae, written out IDENTICALLY when compared to one of my notes of what I was studying that year. My Old Man did that? He certainly never seemed that bright to me! That stuff I was trying to learn, he had already forgotten about it, many years ago. It took me down a peg or two, I started to realise that not every thought or idea that a person speaks is all that a person is capable of. I felt my respect and admiration for my Dad grow by a big jump that day. From that time forward my eyes were opened and you know what? I was amazed at how much Dad grew in knowledge and wisdom from that time forward (yes, we all well know that a bit of humility in a teenager goes a long way to improve their perspective on life).
The primary purpose of sharing this story with you is to demonstrate that we are not necessarily smarter that those who have gone on before. I am certain that there is still much benefit from what past generations have learnt that is currently out of vogue. Particularly in the realm of man’s faith or belief in God, the modern world seems to scoff at such primitive thinking.
Anyway this extensive (and probably exhausting) prologue is an argument that I would like to use to show that the thinking of mankind is often limited to the discoveries and opinions of those held in such high regard.
If any approach is contrary to another’s approach, then it is probably “wrong”.
This is particularly true in religion.
I want to look at miracles in the Bible as the Bible is one of the primary foundations of my life. Mankind only really seemed to move out of the Dark Ages when the common man was allowed access to the Bible in their common tongue and learned how to read. Then we had the Renaissance and Western civilization developed and has made a massive contribution to the planet. Just as I know that Islam, Greek, Indian, Chinese and many other civilizations have also contributed to the vast pool of mankind’s knowledge.
So lets have a look at how the word miracle is defined in a dictionary. I went to www.dictionary.com and found the following:
miracle
noun
- an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.
- such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.
- a wonder; marvel.
Of course the Master of miracles is Jesus Christ. It was the primary reason for his fame among the people of his day.
There are a couple of interesting things to note:
First - Jesus could only do miracles when the recipient has sufficient faith. (refer to Mark chapter 6, the first six verses)
1 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
A clear demonstration that miracles cannot be performed only by the faith and power of the giver, but the faith of the receiver is required too. It is evident that miracles can only be performed when faith exists; if there is no faith, there can be no miracles. Therefore when there are no miracles it means there is no faith. So where a person says that they cannot believe or accept anything unless they see it with their own eyes or experience it with their own senses. They do not have faith in their lives and sadly, their cynicism will impoverish their lives. Could one not say that it is like “self fulfilling prophecy?” If a teacher thinks their students are stupid and the teacher has low expectations, the class will probably match the non-expectations of their teacher. I don’t know if it is true or if it is just an urban legend but I have heard the story where a new teacher was told that the class she was going to teach was comprised of only the most gifted children. The children all performed amazingly for the teacher but the truth was that the class were “just” ordinary students. It is a powerful story and I have seen it happen in the lives of my girls. It is a fine line to walk where over-expectation would be cruel, just as “under” expectation would also be.
Second – the opponents of Jesus said that Jesus was the prince of devils and used the power he had over the devils to cast them out of their victims. Then Jesus said in response that a divided kingdom will eventually fall, hence the power he used was of God, not of the Devil. If the Devil was divided against his own hosts, then his kingdom cannot stand. (See Matthew chapter 12, verses 22 to 26)
22 ¶ Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
The nature of the miracles that were performed by Jesus had greatly enhanced his fame among the common man. Such an abundance of miracles had never been seen before. The bitter retort of the Pharisees should be carefully considered in today’s context. Has the media not cynically reported healings by various people, and how phoney their claims often are?
Are such miracles a sign of divine favour? What do you think?
This brings me to the third point:
In the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapter 5 we read the following words of Jesus:
15 ¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 ¶ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
The Saviour speaks stern words here, many should find them hard words, IF they are carefully read.
False prophets are spoken of, then His followers are given a means to measure; their fruits or their conduct, actually the word “fruit” is apt, just as fruit is the natural produce of a plant; not only any fruit from any plant but specific fruit from a specific plant (fig fruit only from a fig tree, and so on), just the same with man – specific acts will result in specific consequences. Men can be deceitful (ravening wolves in sheep’s clothing), but regardless of outward appearances, the resultant fruits will be evident.
Then Jesus talks about those He will reject at Judgement Day. Apparently these rejected ones will be appalled and will point to the miracles that they did in the name of Jesus but they will be rejected because they do not the works of Heavenly Father, they will even be called workers of iniquity!
Thus it is clear to me that miracles by themselves are no guarantee of salvation, rather obedience is of a higher order. This obedience is evidenced by one being a doer of the sayings of Jesus Christ.
So as impressive as the performance of miracles is to us, Jesus holds obedience to his teaching as much more important.