What's wrong with me...

In our February 24th Sunday School class a question that has been lurking about for a few weeks almost came to the surface.

Over the last several weeks we have been reading familiar stories from the gospels, most of which have involved Jesus doing things that, from our modern perspective, are rather unusual--things we call miracles.  He has been healing people who were sick in their hearts, their minds and their bodies.  Dejected lepers, paralyzed servants, blind beggars and even his scared-out-of-their-wits disciples caught in the middle of a storm in the middle of the night in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, all have found whatever was ailing them could be repaired if Jesus only spoke words like these: "Let it be to you according to your faith..."; "Your faith has saved you..."

It appears, from a plain reading of these stories that there is a connection of some sort between the faith experienced or expressed by those in need of Jesus' help and his ability to help them.  That is to say, it seems they were healed because they had faith; or to put it in another (less delicate) way, their faith caused their healing.  This has led us to wonder whether faith "worked" the same way today--if we have faith and we pray for healing for ourselves or for someone we love, should we expect them to be healed?  The general agreement seems to be that we should; that is to say, we can't really think of any reason why things should be different today.  Quoting Halley's Bible Handbook: "We ought not to  be too determined to explain everything that Jesus said about prayer so as to bring it within range of our finite understanding.  It might be, if only we would apply ourselves with enough Patience, Persistence and Perseverance to the practice of prayer, that we could reach attainments that we do not ordinarily dream are possible...Jesus said that God may be induced to do this through our FAITH in HIM." (italic emphasis mine).

And this, I think, is what led several of the class members to almost ask what may be the real, pressing question on our minds: I have prayed for people who aren't getting  well; what is wrong with my faith?  Or, to put that more simply, What is wrong with me?

You probably expect me to say this, but I will say it anyway: I think that may be the wrong question to be asking.

I am not entirely sure, however, what the right question is.  I confess I am as puzzled by the way the  world works as anyone.  On the one hand, I believe Jesus did some remarkable things as he walked the dusty roads of Palestine 2000 years ago; acts that can be best explained, it seems to me, by who he was.   On the other hand, I'm pretty sure the kinds of healing acts described in the gospels are not happening today.  Sure, cancer tumors occasionally disappear mysteriously (sometimes after prayer; sometimes on their own) and if you want to call those miracles I won't argue with you.  But I'm not aware of anyone walking the halls of hospital oncology units touching patients and telling them their faith has made them well.  Just think of how many patients died while under the care of Mother Theresa and her sisters in India.  Does anyone want to say her faith was too small?

I am certain, though, that Halley's approach to faith is fraught with spiritual danger if he is suggesting we can offer healing to the sick through the practice of our faith.  "If only we would apply ourselves..." he says.  If only we tried harder, if only we believed harder, if only we had real faith then we could do things "that we do not ordinarily dream are possible".

But the reverse of his statement, which must be true if what he says is true, tells us that our failure to heal those we love means our faith has failed.  It tells us that we have not persisted  and persevered, that we don't really believe, that we have failed.  "What is wrong with me?"  Why can't I induce (i.e. "make") God do what I want God to do?

I don't really know what faith is, but I'm pretty sure this is not it.  I don't really know for sure how faith "works", or whether faith works; but I'm pretty sure faith does not "induce" God to do something God would not otherwise do.

On the contrary, I believe faith is not twisting God's arm to get what we want.  Faith is trusting God's hand to offer what we need.  And even more, faith is trusting God to be with us, and with those we love, in the darkest, hardest times of life.

William Sloane Coffin had an interesting take on faith and miracles.  I'll let him have the last word:

"Miracles do not a messiah make.  But a messiah can do miracles.  If you ask me if Jesus literally raised Lazarus from the dead, literally walked on water and changed water into wine, I will answer, 'For certain, I do not know.  But this I do know: faith must be lived before it is understood, and the more it is lived, the more things become possible.'  I can also report that in home after home I have seen Jesus change beer into furniture, sinners into saints, hate-filled relations into loving ones, cowardice into courage, the fatigue of despair into the buoyancy of hope.  In instance after instance, life after life, I have seen Christ be 'God's power unto salvation', and that's miracle enough for me".  (Credo, pg 10).

And so I conclude again:                                              Peace, always,

                                                                                                      Brad