The Miracles of Jesus When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ Matthew 11:2-6

Jesus’ Actions: As Important as His Words Jesus performed many wondrous works in the gospels: Healing Miracles: Jesus relieves the suffering of people afflicted by numerous ailments (fever, paralysis, deafness, dumbness, blindness, or leprosy. Exorcisms: Jesus drove evil spirits and demons out of people. Restorations of Life: Jesus rose people from the dead Nature Miracles: Jesus has control over nature (he walked on water, calmed a storm, etc.) It was important for Jesus to perform miraculous works to show that the power of God was truly manifested in him. People needed concrete demonstrations from Jesus to support his teachings

How We View Miracles Today In modern society, Christians seem to take one of three positions on Jesus’ performing miracles Some accept them as truth. The Bible is literally the word of God, and therefore the miracles must be taken at face value. Some completely reject the miracles. They are embellishments to add to the tale of Jesus’ life. These people tend to look at modern science as a bases to refute the miracles he performed. Some Christians accept a middle ground between the first two options. Not all the miracles should be looked at in the same way, and they take into account that the Gospels are not first hand accounts of what Jesus did or said. They look more to what the stories reveal and teach is about Jesus and his proclamation of the Kingdom.

Evidence To Take Into Consideration Jesus’ miracles are supported by historical records: There are outsider accounts from ancient historians who referred to Jesus as a wonder-worker. Even the Pharisees did not deny his miracles: They charged him with doing miracles through the power of the devil. Scholars argue that this was an extremely unusual charge, and it would only be included in the gospels if it were based on an actual incident. They are affirmed by eyewitnesses: When the earliest gospels were written, there still would have been eyewitnesses around. These witnesses are precisely those people who were so devoted to him that they started a Church, and many were persecuted and killed for their devotion.

The Problem of Inconsistent and Conflicting Accounts The gospels have conflicting accounts or disagreements about the same miracles. The miracles intensify, magnify, and multiply from the time of the writing of the earliest gospel, to the later ones For example: Mark says Jesus “cured many who were sick”(1:34), Matthew says that Jesus “cured all who were sick”(8:16) In Mark, a man named Jairus approaches Jesus and pleads, “My daughter is at the point of death”(5:23). In Matthew, Jairus says “My daughter has just died.”(9:18) In Mark, Jesus healed on blind man (10:46-52). In Matthew, he heals two (20:29-34).

The Miracles in Context We need to realize that people in Jesus’ day viewed the world very differently than we do now. Today in modern, western culture, we rely on science to explain the world. First century Jews explained the world in terms of the power and presence of God. God always controlled the winds, rains, etc. Miracles were seen as unusual acts of God, they were awed by his miracles, but not overly surprised. Good things were caused by God, and all illness was a direct result of evil. Any cure was therefore an “exorcism”, because the evil was cast out or conquered. Jesus was not the only wonder-worker. There were many in first century Israel (mostly rabbis). Miracle workers were also very common in Greek culture in the first century.

1st Century Palestine: A Different World Medicine was primitive, therefore there were no hospitals or institutions to help the physically and mentally ill Those who were mentally and physically ill were forced outside of the city walls. Lepers formed colonies throughout the countryside, and mentally ill were often chained inside caves. Anyone suffering from a mental or physical illness were forbidden from worshipping in the Temple Those who suffered were not necessarily persecuted out of cruelty, but out of fear. Illness was believed to be a direct manifestation of the power of evil, or punishment from God for personal sins, or sins of one’s ancestors. Jesus refutes this claim in Luke 13:1-5: telling his listeners that those who suffer do not do so as a direct result of their sin If the above was common belief, it makes sense for the gospels to include so many miracles. By curing people, Jesus was banishing evil. God chose to use Jesus in this way, so it shows that he was truly the Messiah, banishing evil to bring in the new Kingdom

The Question of Faith As Catholics, you are not necessarily expected to accept miracles as facts of truth, but are asked to accept the significance of the miracles. What do they really mean? Jesus would not perform a miracle unless they believed in him and in God They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! . . .” And they took offense at him . . . And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at [the] unbelief. (Mark 6:2-6) Remember Jesus was not performing to show off his power. He was doing God’s work to bring the Kingdom of God

Miracles and the Kingdom The reason for the miracles was to proclaim the Kingdom of God, at the core of this proclamation (and the miracles) are the following realities: God’s promise of unconditional love God’s commitment to poor people and outcasts of society God’s complete control over the power of sin and evil God’s offer of complete reconciliation God’s presence incarnated in the Jesus of History

Healing: An Act of Love Jesus did not speak of his father’s love, he lived it through his actions The gospels are very clear about this: Jesus healed because people needed to be healed He healed out of compassion: Mark 1:41: Jesus cures a leper who begs to be cured out of pity Luke 7:13: Jesus is touched by sorrow when he meets the widow of Nain, whose son has died

Miracles: A Sign of Power Some of Jesus’ miracles were signs intended to show God’s power over creation and over the forces of good and evil. They were meant to inspire people to believe in Jesus Healing miracles: Jesus relieves people of their physical suffering, and even brings the dead back to life. Jesus vanquishes the evil evident in peoples suffering, pain and death by healing and restoring life Casting out of demons: Exorcisms, where Jesus casts out evil spirits shows the extent of God’s power. Jesus can confront the power of sin in its most direct form, and conquer it. Forgiveness of sins: Jesus heals the physical ailments of people most often because they have acknowledged their sins, and Jesus has forgiven them Nature miracles: Shows that God’s power over all creation is present in Jesus

Jesus the Miracle Worker Jesus was not a magician, and would deny any designation, that implied that he was He was often reluctant to perform miracles, and often told those who witnessed it not to tell anyone what they had seen (Mark 1:44) He often got angry with those who expected miracles as proof of his power (Mark 8:12)

Miracle Activity Read the miracle story with your partner. Create a summary Classify the miracle story (example: exorcism, healing, nature miracle) Note any differences between the three (if there are three) accounts Be prepared to tell the miracle story to the class

Nature Miracles Mirroring the Hebrew Bible God parted the waters of the Red Sea to allow the Israelites passage into the promised land (Exodus 14:15-31); Jesus calms a storm and walks on water God sent manna to the his people as they wandered the desert (Exodus 16:12-35); Jesus multiples the loaves of bread and fish to feed multitudes. God created order out of chaos to create the world (Genesis 1:1-2); through Jesus, God overcomes all chaos in the world

John’s Miracles John includes only 7 miracle stories (far less than the Synoptics) John tends to go into a lengthier discussion about its deeper meaning among those who witnessed it 4 miracles from John are unique to John Changing water into wine at Cana (2:1-12) Curing on the Sabbath (5:1-18) Healing the man born blind (9:1-12) Raising Lazarus (11:1-44)

Changing Water into Wine (2:1-12) On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.

Curing on the Sabbath (5:1-18) After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew[a] Beth-zatha,[b] which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in[d] the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.

Healing the Man Born Blind (9:1-12) As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We[a] must work the works of him who sent me[b] while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

Raising Lazarus (11:1-44) Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” (38-44)