Will you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

 

FRI Evening Prayer Reflection 081420 (Acts 7: 17-29; John 4: 43-54)

“Go back home, your son will live.” Those are the words that Jesus said that made the kid well. Jesus has only to will it and the action happens. The word of God creates. God speaks things into being. Genesis began with “God said”. With His word, God can heal and mend brokenness. I was intrigued and followed through the words that Jesus said much later: “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life.” John 5: 24. The word of God is truth. What a privilege it is, to be in that group that resides under the shadow of the Almighty. The place where reside all those who are in Christ Jesus, where there is no condemnation, a place of deeper and deeper healing, the eternal life.

John tells us in v 48 that Jesus sharply criticized Galileans who wouldn’t believe without miraculous signs. They preferred staying far from under the shadow of the Almighty yet Jesus wanted to bring them under God’s protection, but they wouldn’t budge. This makes me remember how Jesus had told them that he had been trying to gather them as a hen gathers its chicks under her wings! I can sense that Jesus was saying to them: what will it take for you to believe? The book of Acts is full of God’s miracles in their midst. Read Stephen’s testimony in Acts 7. He told the story of Israelites and how God used miracles to rescue them. Had they forgotten? Stephen talked about the story of Moses, how people often refused to listen to him, they rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt even after all the miracles happened. Could it be that Jesus saw the same symptom in Galileans? Could it be that we have the same symptom when we refuse to seek God and pursue His will? Those who believe in Jesus don’t do that. They are always thankful and rely on God in everything.

The definition of faith is the assurance of things not seen. Hebrews 11: 1 says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We start believing in the possibilities even before we see them. But the problem with disingenuous faith is that even when we get a miracle, we can still continue in our own ways and refuse to believe. I read that “Faith is the connecting power into the spiritual realm, which links us with God and makes Him become a tangible reality to the sense perceptions of a person.” Now Israelites had many examples of walking with God Almighty. God introduced himself to Abraham, to Moses and the following descendants. They all have seen what God was capable of. Could it be that centuries after, people had forgotten about it? Even with Passover feasts that are supposed to remind them of God’s power in rescuing them? Did they/ Will we still not believe?

I think we might be guilty of the same if we forget that we, [or our ancestors] who were rescued from some persecution in Europe or civil wars. We should be thankful that we [or our ancestors] got here safely and that we are prospering and protected. Galileans were accused not to have real/genuine faith. They had an excuse: Jesus was one of them: a Galilean. Prophets have no honor in their hometown, Jesus said. But this time Galileans welcomed Jesus because, they have seen his miracles. Was this really genuine? Anyone could have asked. Was their welcome really remarkable? Did they really haven faith? When I was much younger, a strong man called Mabula came into town. Apparently, he could pull a truck with his hands. A lot of people went to see him. We were not allowed to go, which made us unhappy. Now I know better. People do pull trucks with the right straps.

Is belief really about proof only? It is interesting that in the book of Acts, the Bible is not trying to prove miracles, it just reports them naturally. They were just an evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit working in them. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truth. God’s word does miracles in our midst all the time. Proof or not, it is worth our consideration.

Lord increase our faith! May we be bold enough to tell someone: “Go back home, you are healed, you will live”

Amen.