Variety: Mark 2v10b–12
He said to the paralytic – ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat, and go to your home.’ And he stood up and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’ Mark 2:10b–12
Supernatural stories of extraordinary miracles may discourage some people from taking the Bible seriously. There seems to be a disconnect between the world we inhabit, where the laws of nature reign supreme, and the world of the Bible, where things go whizz, pop, and bang.
Secular scholars try to explain the difference by suggesting ancient people saw the world in a more primitive way. But stories of contemporary healings, recorded by academics such as Craig Keener, challenge the assumption that miracles in the Gospels and today are mere fabrications. For one thing, the Gospel writers include many incidental details that could only come from eyewitnesses who saw what really took place. The secular choice between medicine or miracles is a false choice. The God of the Bible can work by both natural and supernatural means.
In the Gospels, miracles excite a sense of wonder. However, we should not assume that a genuine miracle will always convert people. When Jesus healed a paralysed man, lowered through the roof by his friends, the religious leaders were also in the house. They saw what happened. But they concluded that Jesus was an evil sorcerer. A miracle is like the sun’s rays: it can thaw the ice or harden the clay. Healings may get the attention of those who are open, but they may also draw out hostility from those who are closed.
True faith must be based on more than subjective experiences. God does not promise miracles on demand, and we won’t always perceive what he is doing. Instead, we believe based on objective truths revealed in Scripture, most importantly the resurrection of Jesus that is the bedrock of our faith. Then, as we step out in obedience, God will add further experiences that confirm the truth. In this sense, faith is a journey. It will include wonderful times when prayers are answered and wilderness times when we hang on in hope.
Both of these experiences can result in good fruit, in both us and in what we’re able to demonstrate to others. When we see wonderful things happen, we can tell others about what God’s done for us, and they’ll see the difference in our lives. And when we’re in the wilderness, we can ask for the Spirit’s help to persevere in a way that glorifies God – remaining hopeful and faithful, even when the pain and fear are real.
Andrew Ollerton