Is there room in the modern mind for what we would call ‘biblical miracles?’ Today, we lean on modern medicine, doctors, science as the answers for all. This is of course expected, but the question I will ask are these cures requested through prayer? Some people pray others don’t. It seems even those who have an atheistic mindset begin to pray when trials and tribulations come their way, such as a loved one who is dying.
Are modern remedies a reason to give up hope and faith? Is charity or love a miracle in itself or is it just a chemical reaction which can be explained by science? I say that it is not and theological virtues are what we need; love is a miracle. At some point in our lives, we all give up a part of ourselves to help others whom we don’t even know.
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
Even when dealing with modern medicine, we need faith. Through a strong faith in God, we have hope that He sends us someone to help us, whether or not it is an atheist physician. Through the physician’s love of their job and dedication for helping others, regardless if the remedy is to be a cure-all or a suppression of our pain, gives us something to grasp. We need to also know God sent these people for our support and not to discount our faith but to strengthen it.
A medic or a police officer has to tolerate and respect others while doing their job. We all have heard the ‘Golden Rule’ and yet how many times do we really treat others as we would have others treat us? We must remember what Jesus says in the Gospel of Luke:
“Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners’ love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” Lk 6:31-35
In the Bible, Jesus gave sight to the blind, healed the sick, made the lame walk and the deaf hear. Is He still doing these ‘works’ today? I have encountered several people who state the Bible is outdated or that ‘we’ need a miracle, though they are not aware of certain miracles that are recorded such as the Miracles in Lourdes, Fatima or the miracle in Lanciano. God works in mysteries ways and shows us in others but, the reality of it is that miracles do happen, we just don’t believe.
Jesus gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf but what about those today who are blind to the ‘truth’ or deaf to scripture? Jesus told ‘doubting’ Thomas,
“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” John 20:29
What was Thomas initial response? It was “My Lord and my God!” We need to keep this in our minds, knowingly when we doubt because of this world we live in, we forget Jesus isn’t from this world (John 8:23). I think on several occasions in our lives we can relate to the passage when a father asked Jesus to heal his son. “Jesus said to him, “If you are able! —All things can be done for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it,
“You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” Mark 9:23-25
I believe we all can relate to the father of the boy, regardless of who we are. We need to learn how to ask for help for our unbelief. Sometimes we do not pay attention to the clues God gives us. Remember the short story called “God Will Save Me”. The person in this story drowned. He refused help from three ordinary people who offered to save him from drowning because he was looking for an unnatural sort of miracle. He was not paying attention to the signs of rescue. When he berated God after his death, God told him that He had sent help three times. Do we not believe in the obvious signs that are presented to us or is it that we want something direct and obvious? But then would it really be obvious to us as transportation coming three different times to save the drowning man in the story?
There are miracles today. They may not be in the way we are expecting but they are there. Just like ultraviolet rays, miracles may not be visible with our natural eyes but with help, we can discover how to acknowledge their presence.
3 thoughts on “Is There Room In The Modern Mind For Miracles?”
I would think that Wikipedia qualifies as representative of modern minds. There is an entry for the Zeitoun apparition of Mary. The Egyptian police were obliged by the facts to admit that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had been walking (or floating) around the roof of a church in Egypt. This went on for months, it was photographed by many people, and everyone saw her. It was a such a sensational event that the government could not ignore it, hence the police admission that it was all true since they had carefully examined any possibility of fraud.
Thank you for sharing that. I wasn’t aware of that event, though there are several that are out there, I just wanted to mention just a few.
The ultimate in miracles would be an example of the only … scientific possibility Jesus alluded to when He said if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can literally move a mountain. This human potential will likely never be reached in our universe’s history; though who knows what wonder lurks in much older civilizations that may be out there and have taken this kernel of truth and approached the limit.