5 - Parables and Miracles

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by Robert Zaar — last modified 2007-08-23 03:38

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The words and deeds, the parables and miracles reveal who Jesus is and how we should live. We cover Mark 4:1-6:6.

Firstly, let us get a sense of where we are in the gospel to be aware of our surroundings. Have a look at the "Path through Mark 's Gospel" document in the appendix.
The whole gospel is about Jesus being the Christ or Messiah, 'the one', the saviour and being the Son of God. We will explore these ideas in the next couple of weeks. The gospel starts with informing us that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God, but the characters in the story don't know that. We are told the 'secret' of Jesus' true identity. It is in the middle of the gospel when a human being works out that Jesus is the Messiah. You will have to wait to see who that is. It is only at the end of the gospel that a human works out that Jesus is the Son of God, again you will have to wait.

All the time Jesus is building up his disciples and apostles. The first 'cycle' is when Jesus is ministering, teaching and healing. Jesus is rejected by the Pharisees who plot with the Herodians to kill Jesus. Jesus responds with establishing the 12 apostles, the foundation of the Church, a new institution. This week we will see that he is teaching them using parables and we gain insight into what the first one means. Jesus does not explain the parables except for this first one. We will explore what the dynamics of the parables this week.

Jesus also performs miracles. This week we will also explore the meaning of the miracles and the nature of miracles.

PARABLES

What is your favourite parable? Why do you like it so much?

What is a parable?

To help us explore the meaning of parables, let us remember that for Jesus his teaching has already led to powerful people wanting to kill him. They are already plotting his death! His teaching brings about a 'crisis'. The word 'crisis' actually comes from the Greek word krisis which means decision or judgement. A time of crisis is a time of decision. Will we make the right decision. Jesus wants everyone to make the right decision. His parables are meant to help others learn the effects of a decision to make the right choice, but in a very gentle way. Only those who seek the truth will be able to go deep enough to discover the 'hidden' treasure and want to possess it. Whenever you read a parable think of yourself as someone with a treasure map, looking, looking, looking for treasure. Keep looking until you find it. The treasure is .... you will have to find it yourself, but I will help you as we read through these passages.

Miracles
Can Jesus really perform miracles?

This is such a non-question today, because it is so obvious. Without beating about the bush, very definitely! Here are some reasons.

1) Every modern saint must have at least 2 scientifically unexplainable miracles before they can become a saint. This does not count the many miracles they may have performed while alive. Mary Mackillop, is currently blessed Mary Mackillop. To become a saint there are three stages. The first is to be recognised by the Catholic Church as a holy person in their life. They can then be classified officially as venerable. People are then allowed to officially pray to this person for their help. When Mary Mackillop was venerable Mary Mackillop many people prayed for her help. A particular woman who was dying of leukemia and doctors could not save her life was miraculously cured through people praying to Mary Mackillop. You can read the full story here: http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/03/nov/16/14.html This miracle was accepted by the Vatican 10 years later and allowed for Mary to become a 'blessed' which is the second stage of being a saint. With one more miracle she will become canonised a 'saint'. If we think of the thousands of saints that pope John Paul II has declared, we are talking about thousands of miracles.

2) There are some saints that have performed many miracles during their lifetime. One recent example is Saint Pio, also known as padre Pio who performed many miracles during his lifetime and died in 1968. He was a stigmatist (he had the wounds of Christ most of his life), he is reported to have been in two places at one time (called bilocation), when people went to confession to him, he knew their sins and would say them if the person did not mention them. These are just some of the many miracles. You could read more about padre pio at http://www.ewtn.com/padrepio/. There are many saints who throughout the centuries have performed many miracles.

There are so many other examples of miracles in the Catholic Church that it would take too long to explain and explore them all, the point is, if Jesus can bring about modern day miracles, he can certainly have performed miracles in his own day. These miracles are helps for us to believe, but ultimately they are not the reason why we believe. They make belief more reasonable, but faith is a decision to believe in God. It is a personal decision that God helps us make, but does not make for us. We make the decision. It is the best decision of our lives. Miracles help our reason to realise that faith is reasonable, but it is up to us to make that decision. Faith is a gift from God and we should pray for more faith and pray for others to receive that gift.

Knowing faith is a gift frees us to trust God, but also orients us to seek his help above all to bring faith to others. We can always love others, and share the good news of Jesus, but faith is always a gift of God offered to another, and it is up to them to accept it. Our love can help make it more reasonable for them to believe. Lets love others as much as we can, so they can have every reason to believe in God and follow him.

You may like to pray for someone now to receive the gift of faith. Maybe you need to ask for more faith yourself.

Miracles teach us something about Jesus. In Mark 2:1-12, Jesus asked, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your pallet and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" - he said to the paralytic- "I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home." and so the paralytic was healed. Jesus used this opportunity to reveal that he could forgive sins. He himself used the opportunity as a kind of proof of his power to forgive sins. Actually the miracles are not the important thing, but Jesus is far more important than the miracles.

When someone gives you a gift, do you love the gift or the giver of the gift more?

We are meant to love the giver of the gift more. Catholicism is all about people, the dignity of people. People are more important than any material thing. The miracles are signs of God's power, that point to God. We are meant to love the giver of the gift far more than the gift. Ultimately our love is to be just in the giver of the gifts and not in the gifts at all. Then we will be free, and love purely. Then we will be trusted to receive many gifts, because gifts are always meant to be shared. The more we share them, the more we receive. The more we fall in love with the giver of the gifts.

Day 1: The Sower Mk 4:1-9 and the Sower explained Mk 4:10-20

This is a crisis parable. To understand it you need to be in the crisis of faith. Will you believe or not? What kind of seed are you?

May be you are not ready to believe. There is a right time for everything. But this parable paints a very clear picture of belief and the need to be vigilant, to protect the seed of the word and let it grow. How do you think you can protect the seed and let it grow?

It may seem that God has decided who will believe and those who don't, but in fact it is up to us. Every decision we make leads us closer to God or further away. The question is do you want to be one of those who is granted the secrets of the kingdom of God or not? If you do want those secrets, then just ask for it and keep making decisions to read, reflect and seek God's love and light in your life and you will receive. Take a moment now to ask. You may like to write a prayer to ask for understand God's secrets.

Just to finish. Each day you read, you should ask for God to reveal his truth, wisdom and guidance to you particularly when you read the Bible and pray.

Day 2: Lamp and Stand Mk 4:21-25

The more you give, the more you will receive. Can you give an example of this?

God wants everyone to share. The poor can be so happy and the rich so sad. There is such a joy in giving.

Again a crisis, a decision, will you give?

Day 3: The Seed Growing Secretly Mk 4:26-29

If you give, God will work miracles around you. Remember Jesus has just formed the 12 apostles and is teaching them how to build the Church. By giving love and of themselves, the Church will grow and others will be transformed. The Church by giving will build a better world. Give and you will see change around you in others and in you - more than you could have asked for or imagined, in a mysterious way, in God's way.

Day 4: The Mustard Seed Mk 4:30-34

Do you sometimes think what can I do to change the world?

You are a small seed. But if you give of yourself to God, then through you, God can bring about amazing change in the world. Just look at saints like Padre Pio. The more you become little before God, and rely on His strength and help, the more you will change the world and build the kingdom of God on Earth.

Day 5: Jesus Walking on the Water 4:35-41

Who is Jesus that can command the wind and the waves?

Jesus wants to prevent natural disasters and stop plagues and drought. Our prayers to him can do this. We should pray for the world and those in drought, because he wants to give the rain. Take a moment to pray for those experiencing drought.
In fact, when Pope John Paul II after John Paul II beatified Mary Mackillop, there was a large amount of rain in New South Wales, much needed rain by the farmers. It was seen as the first miracle of Mary Mackillop after her Beatification. see http://www.catholicvoice.com.au/198/POPEPAGE2.PDF#search=%22Mary%20Mackillop%20sydney%20rain%22 for more info.

Day 6: The Demoniac of Gadara Mk 5:1-20

The previous miracle and this exorcism and the following miracles all point to Jesus power. How does Jesus use his power?

Jesus has power. He uses his power. There is nothing wrong with power in and of itself. It all depends on how it is used.
Who does Jesus send to tell the good news of his healing to?

We should also tell our friends the good things God does for us.

Day 7: With Jairus Mk 5:21-43 and Rejected in His Own Country Mk 6:1-6a

Does Jesus know everything?

Here we have an insight into Jesus knowledge. He does not know who touched him, but he is aware 'power' has gone out of him. Jesus is limited to his humanity and to the power the Holy Spirit gives him. The Holy Spirit could have revealed who it was to him, but didn't. Jesus had to rely on others to call out to find out. This allowed the woman to come forward freely. She was afraid because according to the Law she was unclean and should be separate from the people, because she was bleeding. People would have rejected her if they knew. She risked being caste out when she told the truth, but Jesus did not reject her and sought her out actively. So too does Jesus seek out all those who feel rejected - he wants to heal and give peace. So much does Jesus love. He wants to give us peace and heal us.

Take some time to think about how each of the people felt being healed. How much Jesus wanted to help take other people's pain away. Jesus wants to keep doing that for everyone including you.

Jesus can even raise the dead. Death is no barrier for Jesus. If our life is in Jesus' hands, we should have no fear of death, since Jesus has control of even death. Again Jesus says to not say what happened. He wants to try to hide his power. All of this grand healings and miracles would have left an incredible impression on his disciples.

We finish with Jesus again being rejected. This brings an end to the second cycle. The first was when he was rejected by the Pharisees and Herodians. Now he is rejected by his own family. This would have been painful. But does it stop Jesus?

As we will see, it only seems to bring about more grace. Jesus will soon give his apostles the same power as him. There is no stoping grace. There is no stopping Jesus.

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