Pastor's Corner

Miracles

(Read Matthew 17)

I chose this passage because I understand it is one of the passages that church people find “problematic”. Why is it a problem? Because, taken on face value, it requires a belief in the supernatural, in magical events. For some reason, many church scholars, even many learned people in our own church, try to “explain away” any supernatural event. It has to be a dream. It has to be an allegory or metaphor. This is the wisdom of our age: Anything we cannot see or measure is deemed not to exist.

The Bible, thus, poses a problem. But they’ve managed to explain away most of it. “It didn’t really happen like that...”What really happened was...” Many “miracles” can be explained by modern science: Many of the plagues in Egypt, for example, a patient’s miraculous recovery, the man who walked away from his tiny car three years ago, which was sandwiched between two big trucks on Highway 20.

Does it make a miracle any less a miracle if we can explain it? God does not have to resort to the supernatural to make miracles – He wrote the rule book! But some things, like Jesus lighting up the sky and chatting with Moses and Elijah, before his father speaks from the heavens – these are hard to believe in any other way than the supernatural. As a society, we long for magic and the supernatural. Look at the constant popularity of vampire movies and films about super-heroes: Superman, Flash. But we have trouble believing it can really happen. If we can’t see it and touch it and measure it, it does not exist. (I think Thomas said something like that when told about the risen Christ.) We are somewhat arrogant as a species, as if we, in our wisdom and knowledge, can decide what is real and what is not.

Consider that before around 1900, the very existence of radio waves was unknown – yet they had been around us all through man’s history up until then. Consider radioactivity, unknown until about the same time. Consider Columbus’ inability to sail to Asia because, oops, there was an unknown continent in the way. Although, not unknown to the Vikings. So much of what we “know” as true, may not be. Maybe we don’t have the whole picture? Paul writes, in 1st Corinthians 3:18-19: If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. And again, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:20-25)

So maybe we should be a bit more humble and realize that there may be many things out there we still do not know. Maybe there are angels and demons among us right now, right here. Maybe it is only through Christ’s presence and the Holy Spirit that the demons don’t do us ill. Sounds primitive, eh? Doesn’t sound like a 21st Century view of the world. Maybe, though, the ancients had some wisdom which we have lost. The story of the Transfiguration, by the way, is mentioned in 3 out of the 4 gospels. And Peter mentions it independently in his epistle (2 Peter 1:16-21). So we have four sources. Even though it is hard for us to conceive or explain, maybe we’ll just have to take on faith.

Imagine that: Faith. The burning bush. The virgin birth. Water into wine. Lazarus rising from the dead. The risen Christ. ...Just on faith. (and the knowledge that there are many things in this world beyond our feeble understanding.)

Do miracles exist? You bet they do! Our very existence to me is a miracle.

May God who works through the seen and unseen fill our heart with his love.

Be Blessed,
Pastor Samuel King-Kabu

Thoughts for the month

~ The Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
~ When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.
~ People are funny; they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.
~ Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on the front door forever.
~ Quit griping about your church; If it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
~ If a church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.
~ We're called to be witnesses, not lawyers or Judges.
~ God Himself doesn't propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?
~ Some minds are like concrete thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
~ Peace starts with a smile.
~ I don't know why some people change churches; what difference does it make which one you stay home from?
~ Be ye fishers of men. You catch 'em - He'll clean 'em.
~ Stop, Drop, and Roll won't work in Hell.
~ Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
~ Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
~ Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
~ Forbidden fruits create many jams.
~ God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
~ God grades on the cross, not the curve.
~ God loves everyone, but probably prefers 'fruits of the spirit' over 'religious nuts!'
~ God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
~ He, who angers you, controls you!
~ If God is your Co-pilot, swap seats!
~ Prayer: don't give God instructions, just report for duty!
~ The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
~ The Will of God never takes you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.
~ We don't change the message, the message changes us.
~ You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him/her.
~ The best mathematical equation I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

Collected by Jette Blair

Web Page prepared by:
Roger Kenner & Jette Blair.
Content-New Topics Last Updated: 2014/03/04
St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church - Montreal