“Please join me in my prayer.” Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Amen. (Ps. 19:14).
Introduction:
Although this morning’s gospel reading is very familiar, if we look closely, it is a reading that we are not comfortable with, because the very topic of sending people out into the community, to heal and deliver just does not happen, particularly in the way we maybe feel it should.
History
Let me explain, when we hear about Jesus in the bible, and the miracles he performed, we feel a certain amount of comfort and even excitement, and we take even more comfort in the fact that Jesus taught his disciples how to do the same … that way, they then can pass on this knowledge to their disciples in turn … and in today’s reading, we see his disciples go out for the first time, on their own, (without Jesus), and perform miracles … and it’s a great success. Later on, 72 more disciples are also sent out, and they too, return with an equal amount of great success. … Who these disciples were, I have no idea, however we can gather from that, that Jesus was an excellent teacher and organiser.
Anyway, as time went on, we read that more miracles were done by the disciples right up until the time of Jesus death, when suddenly, they stopped … and it wasn’t until Pentecost, when they received power from the Holy Spirit, that the miracles started up again. …
Later on, we read in the New Testament about the apostle Paul taking up this same mantle … and passing that on to his ‘disciples’: like Timothy and Titus and Silas and Barnabas and other great New Testament disciples who all performed significant miracles … but then … it all goes kind of quiet, and disappears completely. … And so, between then, (biblical times), and now … we do not read of such miracles.
Yes, there have been some notable divine events through the centuries, but nothing close to what we read in the bible … and that is what bothers us about today’s readings, because the implication is … that after studying Christianity for years, you would think that there would come a point … where we should be equipped to perform some kind of miracle … and we don’t … and worse, we certainly don’t read about anyone else performing miracles either.
Does this mean miracles do not happen?
Does this mean miracles do not happen? Does this mean that we are not able to perform miracles, or even pray on behalf of others? ... No way … not in the slightest, because it is all about perspective as I will show you later … but for now, remember that we are all here this morning to worship the living Jesus as our Lord, … (miracles or not), … because we believe in him … our faith is in him, … and through him, I for one firmly believe that miracles do and still happen today. … They may not appear as grand … and they certainly do not happening in the manner described in our bibles, but I have no doubt, (no doubt what so ever), they happen, and are much more common than we realise.
The Catholics, Pentecostals and Charismatics.
Some Christians, particularly within Catholic church, and the Church of God too, (you know the Pentecostals and Charismatics, even ourselves), firmly believe that God continues to perform miracles, particularly healings, and have in the past pointed to the likes of Lourdes and Medjugorje for example, of a places, where miracles have not only happened, but were investigated and verified … and today as we know, both are places of pilgrimages. However, … I must say, that following these miraculous events, neither of these places escaped troubles, or controversy.
Anyway, this then makes us wonder, what would happen if we could perform a significant miracle today, in public for all to see, in this very church, at the front down there, witnessed by us all, recorded on our cameras, a miracle that could be proved scientifically. … I will tell you; … the miracle itself would pale into insignificance … compare to the backlash and trouble it would cause.
The high street.
Let us look at this another way. … Imagine if you will, filling a brown envelope with brand new £50 notes. Now, these new notes are thin and crisp, and you can get a lot of them in one envelop, and I reckon that there are at least £2,500 in this envelop.
Now imagine having a full bag of these envelops, and then going to the top of the high street, and walking down, giving them out to everyone you pass by. … Now, as you walk down the high street, I recon you would need to get as far as Hourstons before the people would actually accept them from you, (you know people being wary as they are), but once you started giving them away, it would become easier, however, you would get very far before things would start kicking off.
Let me enlighten you,
• first of all, there would be some who would take the money and run … you know, get out of here quick before they realise what you have done.
• Secondly, you would have those grateful, genuine people, would who turn back to you, to thank you … but there wouldn’t be many of them.
• There would also be the chancers, they would definitely return to you and say, “as you are giving it away anyway, could I have another one, or even two or three”.
• Which would lead to others, into saying, “how come he has two, and you only gave me one” … and the situation would become aggressive. …
• And to make matters worse, we would then have the others whom you missed, or who were walking on the other side of the street, who noticed what was going on, but missed out … they too would be approaching you demanding, “where is the envelope for me, where is my money”? …
See by the time you got to the chip shop, you wouldn’t be able to see the seagulls … for people fighting, and that’s a fact.
Returning to performing miracles in this church.
Now, using our imagination, let us now return to our miracle or miracles performed in this church … let us say, dramatic visible healings for example. Would the same analogy apply? … Of course it would, and worse, and much worse, let me explain now that we know the basis.
1. First of all, and again, you would see those are grateful, who would thank us, and do what they could to help us, (God bless them).
2. Then there would be the “get out of here quick mob”, who would be out the door just in case they had to do something to do in return for being healed, yes.
3. There would be the chancers too, demanding that every area of their lives be sorted, and they would hog the process; blocking anyone who got in their way. The place would become unpleasant, just like the high street, yes.
But it wouldn’t stop there, because if this church, or any church started performing visible and verified miracles on a regular basis, then that church would drastically change just like Lourdes and Medjugorje.
4. In addition to the problems mentioned, the unbelieving public would suddenly get to hear about it, and demand to attend our services, (which may sound good), but remember many of them would be out for what they could get, and only for what they could get.
5. And of course, there would be the media, (and social media too), you could not keep the media away, and them wanting to know everything, poking their nosy into everything, twisting and turning every statement, where many people would be hurt.
6. And then there is the scientific community wanting to know the ins and out and mechanics of it all, how it happens, with the intension of replicating, repeating and documenting the process, basically wanting to play God.
7. And what about the church hierarchy itself. … Well, I recon, some (not all), would resort to that of the pharisees in Jesus’ day, with some others wanting to be in on the act … their ambition getting the better of them.
8. And finally, for now, how would the other religions react, as they would certainly react? We could spark a holy war. And that’s not to mention the nae-sayers and those against it, those against everything.
Yes, I know this is all a bit dramatic and exaggerated, but it certainly makes us think, … after all … it did cost Jesus his life. …
Can you see now, how such events not only contributed to his journey unto the cross, and in some way, one of the reasons he had to die, even though, every miracle he performed cured or helped someone. … The evil inherent within us all, our sin, contributed to his death on the cross, and it was that sin within us, that he died, to save us from ourselves, and free us into eternal life. … Why then should we not pray for miracles.
Yes, many of us believe in modern day miracles, and I have given you this exercise to set the scene for verses 23 and 24 of Luke 10, (which we did not read this morning, we stopped at verse 20) … because these two verses are the key to our reading this morning, because had we continued, we would have heard:
“And (Jesus) turning unto his disciples, said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: … For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them”. …
These verses clearly state, that miracles are for those … and only those … who believe … and they are not for everyone … and that … we are truly blessed by God allowing us to witness his miracles. Miracles are for those who believe, or for those who are actively looking for them … and not for the frivolous or transient public.
Why do we come to church every Sunday,
Why then do we come to church, so faithfully, truthfully. … Yes, some people attend church because of traditional, or routine or they have ambitions, but honestly, in this day and age, most church goers are either believers … or those seeking to believe in something divine, something far higher than anything human … and in doing so, they are looking to the divine … for actions or result that are divine … and not human.
Remind yourself of this, Jesus says in John 14:12 and 13, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these, shall he, (or she), do; because I go unto my Father. … And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son”.
“Whatsoever ye shall ask”, I don’t know about you, but I don’t see any limitations on “Whatsoever”. … Jesus is asking us, to ask him, for miracles, and then expect those miracles to happen.
We are here this morning because we know Jesus is alive, and that he wants to commune or meet with us, by faith … worshiping him in Spirit and truth. That’s why we are here … and because we are in him … we can hope to find ourselves … and his purpose for our lives … and … any miracle he can bestow on us, on the way.
Amen
