highway of scriptural holiness described in Isaiah 35:
“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears
of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth
in the wilderness and streams in the desert” (v.5–6).
Remember how Jesus responded to John the Baptist’s
message from a Judean jail cell as to whether He was the
one or should another be expected? Not yes, not no, but ...
“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have
leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
and the good news is proclaimed to the poor” (Matthew
11:5).
He cited miracles; miracles as reversals of the curse of
sin and death; miracles as expressions of the New Creation;
miracles as demonstrations — not of compelling force but
of compassionate love — demonstrations of the kingdom
of God.
Miracles are not primarily designed to be proof for the
existence of God. They are the practical signs of the in-breaking
kingdom of heaven. Miracles advance the New
Creation mission of Jesus Christ. In the greatest sense,
miracles are gifted manifestations of the holy love of God
for the sake of His holy creation.
WAYPOINT:
There are three basic explanations as to why we
don’t see more miracles than we do. 1. There
is a deficiency in our biblical and theological
understanding. 2. There is a deficiency in our
discipleship and formation as relates to faith, hope
and love. 3. The Calvinists and dispensationalists
have it right and miracles (among other gifts of
the Spirit) ceased with the end of the age of the
apostles. Where do you land among these three
alternatives? Is there a fourth or fifth?
Years ago when I lived in Wilmore, Kentucky, I saw
an unlikely sign. It was the marquee on one of the local
banks. Where it usually said something about their new
interest rate on certificates of deposit or about getting an
pg. 18 — lightandlifemagazine.com
“We will not do the greater
things of God until we are
possessed by the greater
love of God.”
individual retirement account, this time the sign said
something completely different. I will never forget the
words:
WHERE THERE IS GREAT LOVE, MIRACLES
ALWAYS HAPPEN.
The words hit me with the force of an ever-unfolding
epiphany. I knew their truth to my depths. I had
mistakenly thought of miracles in the category of power:
a power I wanted to possess. Maybe the reason I had little
to no experience with miracles was not because I lacked
power (though I did) but because I lacked love. Instead of
possessing miraculous power, what if I could be possessed
by holy love?
The source of Jesus’ miraculous power was His powerful
love. In fact, we might say His power was commensurate
with His love. In Miracle 143 in the first chapter of Mark’s
Gospel — the cleansing of the leper — we get these words:
“Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and
touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’” (Mark
1:41 NLT).
The Greek term translated, “moved with compassion,”
is transliterated as “splagchnizomai.” It means to be moved
in your guts with the deep affection of love. I have come
to believe we will do the works Jesus did and even greater
works only as we are possessed by the greater love of
Jesus in ever increasing measure. In fact, in the very next
chapter, Jesus brings His entire message down to a single
command to His disciples when He said, “My command is
this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has
no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”
(John 15:12–14). We will not do the greater things of God
until we are possessed by the greater love of God. The sign
proved prescient:
WHERE THERE IS GREAT LOVE, MIRACLES
ALWAYS HAPPEN.
/lightandlifemagazine.com