Eyes of Faith

We know that Jesus performed many signs, wonders, and miracles of healing throughout his three years of teaching and ministry. We hear in St. Matthew’s Gospel, “Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.” (NAB, 15:29-31) But Jesus didn’t humble himself and become one of us merely to be the greatest physician or miracle worker of all time; Jesus came for our eternal salvation, body and soul.

So, why did Jesus perform so many miracles? Authentic miracles reveal the divine presence and action, precisely because they defy our normal, human reason. Miracles act as external indications associated with the internal assistance and actions of the Holy Spirit regarding the revelation of God himself. Because they are “impossible” according to human reason, miracles open the door of faith, helping us to realize that our knowledge and understanding are limited, and pale in the presence of an infinite God.

Earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asked those who refused to believe in his power over the spiritual realm: “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk [to a crippled person]?’” (MT 9:5) His point is that anyone can say anything, but to demonstrate that his words are effective in the spiritual world, especially when he forgives sins, Jesus performed signs, wonders, and miracles in the physical world, which were “impossible” according to human reason.

Heavenly Father, give me eyes that see, eyes that see your presence in the ordinary and in the miraculous. Strengthen my faith in your power over this world, so that I may more deeply trust in your power over the world hereafter. Amen.