How to See Miracles
Adapted from a sermon by Fr Elijah Iskander
One of the beautiful things about the Bible is that it gives us principles to live by. Whenever we are faced with a situation or need an answer, we can always turn to the Bible. The Bible may not the exact same dilemma that is presented before us, but it has the basic principles that are applicable to any situation.
The passage we read in John 11:1-45 gives us a series of principles that are applicable to our lives. These all point toward seeing miracles and seeing the Hand of our Lord moved. We all need some sort of miracles in our lives. This might be for myself, for a friend, a colleague, anyone I know.
In the reading of the raising of Lazarus, we read the conditions that must be fulfilled for a miracle to be completed.
For God to extend His Hand, we must be humble.
The passage opens with, “Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick” (John 11:1-2).
St John gives us a brief introduction to the characters of the story but he then focuses on Mary. It was Mary who humbled herself, who sat at His feet, who washed His feet with her hair. This is how she is described by St John.
Then we see her humility in this story when there is news that Christ has come. She rushes and comes to Him as quickly as possible. Again, pours herself out before Him and kneels before Him.
St Paul was known to work unusual miracles and unusual acts of healing (Acts 19:11). How was he able to do this? St Paul himself answers this question when writing to the Philippians. This is what he modelled his life on, emptying himself before the Lord.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8
He emphasises that Christ emptied Himself, and made Himself of no reputation; a simple Bondservant, and was later glorified. This is how Jesus lived, and this is how St Paul lived and in turn, this is how St Paul was able to perform unusual miracles through the Hand of God.
If I want to see the Hand of the Lord in a very clear and mighty way, I must approach Him with a broken and contrite heart, in complete humility.
I must approach Him in faith.
In this story, we see faith that overcomes human obstacles and in particular, the barrier of time.
Jesus first hears that Lazarus is sick, and so He remains where He is a further two days. Surely, if the Lord hears of one in need, He should leave immediately. After those two days are completed, He doesn’t go to see Lazarus, but to Judea. Somewhere else completely. When He finally makes His way to Bethany, where Lazarus has been dead in a tomb for four days. Maybe in their minds, He just wanted to see the body one last time.
Our Lord is before time, beyond time and above time. Time is nothing to our Lord. If I have an addiction my whole life, then I should not worry for my Lord is above time. If I am having fights with my wife, and these extend to even when we were engaged and after 25 years of marriage, can I expect anything to change? Time is nothing! Those 25 years are nothing, for my Lord is before time, beyond time and above time.
If we want to see miracles, we must approach the Lord with a disregard for time. When the world says that it is impossible or that it is too late, I remember that my Lord is before and beyond and above time. With faith, I disregard the factor of time.
I must do my part.
The Lord tells the people, roll away the stone, and then He raises Lazarus. Similarly, in the feeding of the 5000, He says bring me the 5 loaves and 2 fish and then He feeds the multitudes. When St Peter toils all night and does not catch any fish, the Lord tells him to first cast his net into the sea once more before they are overwhelmed by the amount of fish the Lord has provided.
We see the same even in the Old Testament. When Naaman the Syrian wanted to be healed of his leprosy, Elisha the prophet told him to first wash in the Jordan River. I do what I can, and then God does what I cannot do. God will not do our part for us.
It must be for my ultimate salvation.
In the final part of this story, we see the response of the people that witnessed the miracle. Many of the Jews that witnessed the miracle believed in Him. The purpose of miracles in not just to relieve my pain, or to solve my problems. God is dealing with His people so that He can reveal Himself to us, so that we may be edified, so that we are ultimately with Him. A miracle will never happen if it is for worldly purposes only. I have a problem that needs a solution. But I must see the Hand of the Lord as a result. I may make promises to the Lord. I will turn away from sin, I will cling to the horns of the altar. For the Jews that saw the miracle, they then believed.
If I want to see miracles, I must humble myself before the Lord, I must have faith that God is above time, I must do my part and allow God to do His part, and as a result, it should lead to my ultimate salvation and the salvation of others.
May the Lord allow us to see miracles and glory be to His Name, Amen.