Faith Precedes the Miracle

It hit me one day as I was sitting in seminary in high school - either my Freshman or Sophomore year, I don't remember - but for some reason it hit home that faith precedes the miracle. There is some kind of faith, somewhere, from someone... before the miracle happens. It's like fuel for an engine; if there is no gas in the car, it won't start. It's that simple. Maybe your car is completely empty, but before that car will start someone needs to come to you with a little red gas can.

There are many, many examples throughout the scriptures, but particularly in the New Testament as this is where most of Christ's life is recorded. Miracles abounded! His entire life was a miracle it seemed! I want to touch on a few examples - since that is part of the assignment this week ;) - but also to show that there was always someone that came to Christ with the faith in Him the He could do ... whatever. Really.

Matthew 8:1-4  Jesus heals the leper. The leper himself had faith enough to approach the Savior and ask Him for cleanliness.

Matthew 8:5-13  Jesus heals a man's servant of palsy. I really think this one is wonderful because it tells us that this man had authority; he had soldiers and servants that were under his command, but he was humble enough to ask Christ - not for himself, but for someone else - to spare a little healing power. And even after asking, the man says, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." I love it. This man didn't even see himself as an equal to Christ as a master only with different authority; he knew Christ was the Master.

Matthew 8:14-15  Jesus heal's Peter's mother-in-law from a fever. My son has had a fever since last night. Poor kid. (Am I horrible in admitting that it's kind of nice just cuddling him instead of cleaning up after his messes? No? Didn't think so ;) Anyway, we're mostly letting him ride his fever out. It's what fevers do. Now, it doesn't say in these verses exactly how ill this mother was, but we know that as soon as "he touched her hand, [...] the fever left her." Fevers don't just vanish... Unless it is the will of God and someone has the faith that it can be done. I'm sure Peter himself and his mother-in-law both had faith because as soon as that fever was gone "she arose, and ministered unto them."

Matthew 8:16  One verse. "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick." Whoever they were, they had faith. They cared enough about their fellow men that they brought them to Christ. The other part I love about this and a few other verses throughout is that Christ healed all of them. He took the time to actually care for each of them. He didn't just perform His miracle as a testimony of His power and get out of town. He healed each of them that needed healing.

Matthew 8:23-27  Jesus and His disciples are on the ship with a raging tempest. Jesus slept as "the ship was covered with the waves." His disciples finally decided to wake Him. There's faith, right? Apparently not. Christ's response was, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith." What?? Essentially, this says to me, "Why in the world would you think I would let you drown? You are my disciples. You have work to do! Where is the faith I expected you to have?" Of course, He calmed the winds and the sea "and there was a great calm." Where is our faith? Do we ever think He is just letting us drown?

Matthew 8:28-34 Not gonna lie. This one is a little funky to me. Mostly the wording. "Two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce [...] What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" And then the devils asked that they be sent into a pig's body as that would be better than no body at all. It seems even these devils - who knew exactly who Jesus was, the Son of God - had faith, yes faith, enough to ask for a little mercy concerning their banishment. Interesting.

Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34  The woman with the issue of blood. She simply touched the hem of His garment and knew she would be healed. Christ felt the "virtue" or power go out of Him when she did. He knew her, even in a swarm of other people, and stopped to say "thy faith had made thee whole." Perfect faith.

Matthew 9:27-31  Jesus heals two blind men. They simply come to Him, He asks, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" They said 'yes' and they were simply healed.

Mark 2:1-12 Another man with palsy, carried by four others to the house where Jesus was. The house was so crowded, though, that they uncovered the roof and lowered the sick man in. They were faithfully desperate. And as soon as Christ saw their faith, He healed this man too.

So many miracles. So great power! At times it can seem like God is not here for us anymore. Miracles like these don't abound like they did then. It's a different era, a different dispensation. But the truth is, miracles still occur. Whether they are obvious or not, they happen. As far as healing goes, I think it's a miracle that "ordinary" men can now heal as Jesus did. Of course, those ordinary men were truly blessed with light and knowledge from God that led to this great expansion of the medical world. That is healing power. Men with their medicine can heal leprosy and issues of bleeding. But that ultimate miracle - that miracle of being saved - can only come through Christ forgiving us of our sins and making us whole. But there needs to be faith first. Many say that there is no God or that  He has abandoned us because we see a lack in expected miracles. Shame on us, we of little faith...

Exercise the faith and the miracle will follow. And you will notice it.