No cheap parlor tricks

I (not that I am the measure of all things, but I am pretty sure you will get my drift) find the miracles that Christ performed absolutely remarkable for a number of reasons. Quite obviously they demonstrated his power over every spiritual and natural force imaginable, but that is not why they have impressed me so much. Now I know that the purpose of Christ's miracles was to prove that the message he delivered was authentic and God-directed. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in Matthew 11 where Jesus rested the authentication of his identity on the miracles he performed as they were foretold by the prophets. But I find it so telling that God, in his great compassion for us, chose to prove who he was by radically altering the trajectory of people's lives for the better.

 Of all the things that he could have done to validate his Son's identity he chose to wrap it in gift, after gift, after gift. No longer would the blind man have to beg for food. No longer would the woman have to spend a single dime more to stem her bleeding. You know that fishing boat that was going to be smashed to boards by the storm? Not today. Man, it stinks that you fished all night and caught nothing. Dip your nets in again and enjoy the bounty of your Master's table. Your daughter is not dead. She sleeps and I shall wake her. Your brother will continue to take care of you as I call my friend from his grave.

 God has considered us. God has seen the mess that we have made. He has not turned his back to us nor has he left us in our lowly state. He has wrapped our flesh around him and wrapped his identity in resurrecting us mind, body, and soul. Of all the signs he could have given to convince us that his Son is who he says he is he chose to heal us. 

 How fitting. How loving. Who is like our God?    

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