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Miracles
SERMON – 10.15am, Emmanuel Church, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Sunday 8th February 2009 - The Third Sunday Before Lent
Revd. Canon David Pickering
Mark 1. 38
"He answered, Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also, for that is what I came to do".
I suddenly realised the other day that I don't think I've ever preached a sermon on miracles.
So guess what you are going to get this morning?
I believe in miracles.
Have we witnessed or even performed a miracle?
I'll tell you about my miracle later.
I notice one of the Hong Kong Churches advertises itself each week with the claim of come to our Church expecting a miracle, implying, I think a healing miracle.
Did you come to Church this morning to seek or witness a miracle?
Perhaps a rational answer to that later!
As we read through this morning's gospel passage it's very much like a diary entry of what Jesus did over one Sabbath.
In the afternoon, following attendance at the local synagogue, he healed Simon's mother-in-law.
Then, that evening, he cured the many who were sick or possessed by demons.
The next morning Jesus gets up early for a time of quiet and prayer, but is hunted down by Simon because, to quote verse 37, "everyone is searching for you". The crowds are clamouring to see more of the spectacular.
But Jesus has a greater priority. He must move on because as he says in verse 38, "Let us go to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also, for that is what I came to do".
As we consider miracles there are a few interesting factors in today's gospel reading.
Although Mark tells of the healing of Simon's mother-in-law in a very brief form, all the customary features of a miracle story are included: there is the description of the illness - she has a fever, then the healing itself and finally a clear demonstration of the healing. She was sufficiently recovered to resume her daily routine. V 31 "Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them".
There is no great play here on the miraculous. Rather the emphasis is on the individual -Simon's mother-in-law.
We need to remember that we are all individuals in the sight of God.
God loves each one of us with a personal individual love.
More about that another day!
Let's get back to miracles for now.
That evening many sick and possessed are brought to be healed.
In those days medical conditions was far less understood than they are today. So a sickness or malaise that was out of the ordinary, and most were, would be considered an evil or demonic possession.
Perhaps today we should say that all illness, sickness and disease is a demonic possession in the sense that it is a deviation from the whole and healthy.
Also in the healing of the many we see Jesus shows no discrimination. He accepts everyone.
God may love you and me with an individual love, but every human being is the object of the same love.
So far this does not tell us much about miracles.
Some years ago a scientist said, "a miracle is nothing more than a natural law not yet discovered." He probably didn't believe in miracles.
Someone else gave the following definition: "Coincidence is a miracle where God chooses to remain anonymous".
Both of these seem to be something of a cop out.
It often helps to look at the actual words that are used in the text of scripture. In the New Testament three Greek words are used for miracles; Dunamis, Terasa and Semeion.
Dunamis basically means power, might or strength that is beyond the ordinary.
Terasa means wonder or an unusual event.
And it is always used with the third word, Semeion, which means sign.
A number of New Testament writers speak of Jesus' miracles in terms of signs and wonders. In fact St John's calls all the miracles that he records as signs. They are the signs of God's power among us in the person and actions of Jesus.
So a miracle is a sign of God's power, might and wonder in a particular situation. It's not about the magical, or the unexpected, or even the impossible.
In today's gospel reading when Jesus refused to return to the crowds, he recognised that what they wanted was to see more of the miraculous, the unexpected and the magical. But that was not what Jesus was about.
He came with a message of the power of God's love and goodness, and the miracles were just a sign of this.
When we come to worship this morning we should come expecting a miracle, but not an unexpected or magical one.
When we break bread and share in the cup of salvation we have a part in the saving acts of God in Jesus life, death and resurrection.
In the middle of one of the Eucharistic Prayer we have these words;
Accept through him, our great high priest,
this our sacrifice of thanks and praise,
and as we eat and drink these holy gifts
in the presence of your divine majesty,
renew us by your Spirit,
inspire us with your love
and unite us in the body of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is our miracle; to be renewed in the power and might of God's Spirit, and inspired or infused with the divine love, the same love that motivated Jesus in his miracles.
I may be questioning and sceptical about many things, but I do believe in miracles. At a number of points in my ministry I have seen the totally unexpected happen. But I believe there is more to miracles than the totally unexpected. Miracles are about the power and might of God's love and goodness among us and through us.
Perhaps on a light note I can close with the story of my one miracle.
The lady who could not speak after a stroke, and found her voice after I had visited her.
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