See the Readings from the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C.
1. Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. Because Jesus is the Word of God, everything which Jesus says or does reveals something about God. At Cana, Jesus revealed His glory through the changing of the water into wine. In this miraculous sign, Jesus demonstrated that He was the Lord of Creation. Who else could have changed something into something else?
2. We can also see that when Jesus changed the water into wine, He was not cheap or miserly in His actions. He made over 150 gallons of wine for a party which had already consumed all the wine the groom could afford to buy. What an abundance of wine! And it was the good stuff! This is the way God works. He is always giving us an abundance. If you consider how blessed we are to be living on this planet at this time, even in this country. We have the sun, the air, the water, the animals, the plants. Everything that exists belongs to God in the sense that He made it and He keeps it in existence. It belongs to us in the sense that God gave it to us, or at least gave us the opportunity and talent to possess it.
3. It is not that there is enough for the people, it is that God makes more than enough for those who trust in Him. Consider the feeding of the five thousand with the five loaves of bread. The people ate until they were full, and there was still food left over. That is what we have expect from God- heaven is an abundant place.
4. Jesus’ divinity is showed to us, but also we get a glimpse of His true humanity. When Mary His mother tells Him there is no wine, He responds by asking her what that has to do with Him or her. We should not think that Jesus is being disrespectful of His mother by calling her “woman”. Jesus calls Mary “woman” when He is giving her to John for safe keeping as He hung upon the cross. No, Jesus is calling her “woman” because she is the New Eve.
5. Still, Jesus is reluctant to enter into His public ministry. Once He changes the water into wine, there is no going back to the quiet carpenter shop. This first sign puts Jesus on the path to Gethsemani, where He will beg His Father to take the cup of suffering away and on the path to Calvary, where Jesus obeyed the will of the Father and offered Himself for the Salvation of the world.
6. The wedding reveals that Mary has the position to intercede for us. Jesus knew that they had no more wine, but He chose to not do anything about it until His mother asked Him. Mary did not argue with Jesus, she simply turned to the servants and said do whatever He tells you. In spite of His reluctance, Jesus could not resist His mother. In this exchange, the power of Mary’s intercession is revealed.
7. But you know, the miraculous sign could never have happened if the servants did not obey Jesus. That revelation ought to make us think. Do we do whatever Jesus tells us? Or are we always wanting to do things our own way? For example, the Word says be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it- do we listen or not? And when we do what Jesus asks, are we doing them completely and joyfully? Or do we act fearfully? The Word says that we should forgive others if we want God to forgive us. Do we forgive or do we hold the rancor? Jesus said not to neglect the tithe and praised generous giving. Do we give generously and easily to the Church and to the poor? Or are we reluctant to share our blessings with the Church? Every drop of water the servants put in the jars were changed to wine. Every drop of water that they left out of the jar would have been one less drop of wine. God gives blessings to us, and when we return them back to Him, He makes them into even bigger and better blessings.
8. That is how God is, not just in the realm of the physical world, but in the realm of the Spirit. There is not a shortage of God’s grace. We do not need to be afraid that if we take a chance on Him that we will lose. Rather God greatly desires to pour fourth His Spirit upon us so that we can live in union with Him. But we must believe in Him and trust Him.
Showing posts with label Miracle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miracle. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Sunday, September 6, 2009
He Has Done All Things Well!
See Mark 7:31-37
1. He has done all things well, He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak! We can only imagine the stir which Jesus caused in the region of the Decapolis with His healing power. Those who previously had been unable to hear or speak were now given the power to communicate clearly with others. Those who were blind could see, those who were lame could now walk. Certainly if Jesus came here and did these same things in our midst we would be astounded too. Although we are used to the marvels of modern medicine, there are some things which pills and surgery simply cannot heal. And even if they could, the monetary cost or even just the rehab time can cause us some fear. So if someone had the gift of making all that suffering go away, we would probably be right there.
2. We should note that even in those days, God gave the gift of healing to various people. So it was not completely unknown that someone might exercise healing power. In that small respect Jesus was not completely unique. And yet scripture says that the people were completely astounded by His actions. Something about the life and behavior of Jesus was astonishing and separated Him from all the others who might have been in the public view.
3. We know and believe that Jesus is the Living Word of God- God Himself made manifest to the world. But people in those days did not yet have the benefit of this faith. When they saw Jesus, He appeared in every way to be human, which indeed Jesus is, as well as being the all powerful God. The miracles (or signs as they should be more properly called) were meant not only to draw people’s attention to our Lord, but also to help them remember the words of the prophets which intended to prepare them for the Messiah. In Isaiah we heard: Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.
4. The healings which Jesus performed began to fulfill the words of the prophets. They also began to reveal who Jesus is. When our Lord rose from the dead and the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples, then they were able to remember what had happened and their faith was strengthened. And as they went forth in the world to proclaim the good news of salvation, the words of the prophet “Fear not!” resonated with the words of Jesus to “be not afraid” as they encountered those who did not want to believe and who instead wanted to persecute those who follow Jesus.
5. In the present time, Jesus continues to pour out His healing power upon the Church. There are in fact, many who have been blessed with the grace of healing power. And it is perfectly okay for us to seek and beg God’s mercy to be bestowed upon us in the way of healing. At the same time, we ought to remember that these acts of our Lord were signs of something much more profound. The physical healings that our Lord performed were all temporary. Yet the Salvation from sin that He obtained for us is something that truly lasts. If we think about it, healing from sin is far more astonishing. Whenever I go to confession and admit my sins, I am truly humbled that God in His mercy always forgives and takes me back. In my ministry of Confession, I get to observe many people returning to the Lord. The healing and strengthening of God is clearly present. And sin is permanently destroyed in this sacrament.
6. An interesting aspect of Jesus’ ministry is that when He healed people, He often times instructed them to tell no one. Of course they did not listen to Him, but it makes you think? Why did Jesus do that? Wouldn’t He want to attract this kind of attention? Maybe its because here people are declaring he has done all things well!!! Jesus knew that it would not be long before the crowds would shout Crucify Him! and even His friends would leave Him. But in those moments of loneliness and suffering, our Lord’s love is at its deepest and His power over sin actually reaches its greatest magnitude. Until we know the Jesus who emptied Himself on the cross for our sake, we will never know Him as the Healer who does all things well.
1. He has done all things well, He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak! We can only imagine the stir which Jesus caused in the region of the Decapolis with His healing power. Those who previously had been unable to hear or speak were now given the power to communicate clearly with others. Those who were blind could see, those who were lame could now walk. Certainly if Jesus came here and did these same things in our midst we would be astounded too. Although we are used to the marvels of modern medicine, there are some things which pills and surgery simply cannot heal. And even if they could, the monetary cost or even just the rehab time can cause us some fear. So if someone had the gift of making all that suffering go away, we would probably be right there.
2. We should note that even in those days, God gave the gift of healing to various people. So it was not completely unknown that someone might exercise healing power. In that small respect Jesus was not completely unique. And yet scripture says that the people were completely astounded by His actions. Something about the life and behavior of Jesus was astonishing and separated Him from all the others who might have been in the public view.
3. We know and believe that Jesus is the Living Word of God- God Himself made manifest to the world. But people in those days did not yet have the benefit of this faith. When they saw Jesus, He appeared in every way to be human, which indeed Jesus is, as well as being the all powerful God. The miracles (or signs as they should be more properly called) were meant not only to draw people’s attention to our Lord, but also to help them remember the words of the prophets which intended to prepare them for the Messiah. In Isaiah we heard: Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.
4. The healings which Jesus performed began to fulfill the words of the prophets. They also began to reveal who Jesus is. When our Lord rose from the dead and the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples, then they were able to remember what had happened and their faith was strengthened. And as they went forth in the world to proclaim the good news of salvation, the words of the prophet “Fear not!” resonated with the words of Jesus to “be not afraid” as they encountered those who did not want to believe and who instead wanted to persecute those who follow Jesus.
5. In the present time, Jesus continues to pour out His healing power upon the Church. There are in fact, many who have been blessed with the grace of healing power. And it is perfectly okay for us to seek and beg God’s mercy to be bestowed upon us in the way of healing. At the same time, we ought to remember that these acts of our Lord were signs of something much more profound. The physical healings that our Lord performed were all temporary. Yet the Salvation from sin that He obtained for us is something that truly lasts. If we think about it, healing from sin is far more astonishing. Whenever I go to confession and admit my sins, I am truly humbled that God in His mercy always forgives and takes me back. In my ministry of Confession, I get to observe many people returning to the Lord. The healing and strengthening of God is clearly present. And sin is permanently destroyed in this sacrament.
6. An interesting aspect of Jesus’ ministry is that when He healed people, He often times instructed them to tell no one. Of course they did not listen to Him, but it makes you think? Why did Jesus do that? Wouldn’t He want to attract this kind of attention? Maybe its because here people are declaring he has done all things well!!! Jesus knew that it would not be long before the crowds would shout Crucify Him! and even His friends would leave Him. But in those moments of loneliness and suffering, our Lord’s love is at its deepest and His power over sin actually reaches its greatest magnitude. Until we know the Jesus who emptied Himself on the cross for our sake, we will never know Him as the Healer who does all things well.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The Sign of the Loaves
John 6:1-15
1. Jesus knew that they were going to carry Him off and make Him king, so He withdrew to the mountain alone. Why did Jesus do that? We call Him the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It is right and just that Jesus rules in our hearts. If the people of His day wanted to declare Him to be King, why then did Jesus run away? It was not like He was one to escape His responsibilities.
2. It can be said that the people in those days after the multiplication of the loaves rightly identified Jesus as the King. But their reasons were not correct- they were thinking about filling their own stomachs with temporary food. That is, they were intent upon using Jesus for their worldly needs. On the other hand, Jesus was wanting to give them bread for life eternal- that is Himself.
3. Although the multiplication of the loaves was a phenomenal miracle, Jesus did not do it for its own sake, but as a sign. The miracle of the loaves recalls the reading from Second Kings. God fed a hundred people with a mere twenty loaves at the time of Elisha the prophet. That miracle was intended to confirm the prophetic authority of Elisha. So too does the multiplication of the loaves serve as a sign to confirm Jesus’ message. However it’s not a hundred people who are fed, but five thousand. And there are not twenty loaves, but only five loaves and a couple of fish. And there was not just some left over, but twelve baskets of scraps after everyone had eaten as much as they could. Clearly, Jesus is far greater than Elisha or any of the prophets.
4. The multiplication also recalls the mannah from heaven which fed the Israelites while they wandered in the wilderness at the time of the Exodus. Each day, the people were to go out and collect enough to eat for that one day. They had to learn to trust God to care for them each day by giving them enough to eat. In the wilderness, God worked through His servant Moses, the Lawgiver. Because Jesus fed the multitude through His own power, Jesus is superior to Moses. It is a sign that Jesus is God. Therefore, the New Covenant given through Jesus is superior to the Covenant given through Moses.
5. The sign likewise points to the abundant generosity of God. Like the changing of the water into wine at Cana, the Lord does not simply give enough, He gives an abundance. We may take this abundance for granted when we breathe the air or drink water or bask in the warm sunshine unaware that things do not have to be like this. We have not even discovered another planet that has the same conditions as earth throughout all our explorations using telescopes and robotic probes.
6. Looking forward, the multiplication of the loaves was a sign of the sacred meal which Jesus would institute on the night before He died. When we eat the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, it does not matter how large or small we consume, it is all Jesus. Jesus can feed over a billion Catholics and Orthodox Christians every Sunday or even every day- as many as come before Him in faith.
7. The aspect of the feeding of the five thousand that always attracts my attention is the boy with the five loaves and two fish. He has what might have been enough food for himself, but which clearly is not enough for everyone. Yet only in giving up his lunch will everyone eat- a fact which he did not know until he trusted in Jesus and shared his food. So it may seem with the things we possess, whether treasures of talents, or time. They may appear to be insignificant and insufficient. And they will remain so until we give them back to Jesus.
1. Jesus knew that they were going to carry Him off and make Him king, so He withdrew to the mountain alone. Why did Jesus do that? We call Him the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It is right and just that Jesus rules in our hearts. If the people of His day wanted to declare Him to be King, why then did Jesus run away? It was not like He was one to escape His responsibilities.
2. It can be said that the people in those days after the multiplication of the loaves rightly identified Jesus as the King. But their reasons were not correct- they were thinking about filling their own stomachs with temporary food. That is, they were intent upon using Jesus for their worldly needs. On the other hand, Jesus was wanting to give them bread for life eternal- that is Himself.
3. Although the multiplication of the loaves was a phenomenal miracle, Jesus did not do it for its own sake, but as a sign. The miracle of the loaves recalls the reading from Second Kings. God fed a hundred people with a mere twenty loaves at the time of Elisha the prophet. That miracle was intended to confirm the prophetic authority of Elisha. So too does the multiplication of the loaves serve as a sign to confirm Jesus’ message. However it’s not a hundred people who are fed, but five thousand. And there are not twenty loaves, but only five loaves and a couple of fish. And there was not just some left over, but twelve baskets of scraps after everyone had eaten as much as they could. Clearly, Jesus is far greater than Elisha or any of the prophets.
4. The multiplication also recalls the mannah from heaven which fed the Israelites while they wandered in the wilderness at the time of the Exodus. Each day, the people were to go out and collect enough to eat for that one day. They had to learn to trust God to care for them each day by giving them enough to eat. In the wilderness, God worked through His servant Moses, the Lawgiver. Because Jesus fed the multitude through His own power, Jesus is superior to Moses. It is a sign that Jesus is God. Therefore, the New Covenant given through Jesus is superior to the Covenant given through Moses.
5. The sign likewise points to the abundant generosity of God. Like the changing of the water into wine at Cana, the Lord does not simply give enough, He gives an abundance. We may take this abundance for granted when we breathe the air or drink water or bask in the warm sunshine unaware that things do not have to be like this. We have not even discovered another planet that has the same conditions as earth throughout all our explorations using telescopes and robotic probes.
6. Looking forward, the multiplication of the loaves was a sign of the sacred meal which Jesus would institute on the night before He died. When we eat the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist, it does not matter how large or small we consume, it is all Jesus. Jesus can feed over a billion Catholics and Orthodox Christians every Sunday or even every day- as many as come before Him in faith.
7. The aspect of the feeding of the five thousand that always attracts my attention is the boy with the five loaves and two fish. He has what might have been enough food for himself, but which clearly is not enough for everyone. Yet only in giving up his lunch will everyone eat- a fact which he did not know until he trusted in Jesus and shared his food. So it may seem with the things we possess, whether treasures of talents, or time. They may appear to be insignificant and insufficient. And they will remain so until we give them back to Jesus.
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