1995 issue 7 - sermon on luke 4:31-44 - the authority and power of the preaching of jesus part 2 -...
Post on 03-Jun-2018
220 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 7 - Sermon on Luke 4:31-44 - The Authority and Power of the Preaching of Jesus Part 2 - Counsel of C
1/6
Q J : l p ~ J \ u t 4 o r i t ~ axm
JIofu.er
of
t4.e
JIr.eadfing
of
m.esus
Luke 4:31-44
The
Point of This Incident
The
mazing
Authority
and Power of the
Word ofChrist
His word, written and
preached, is still the instrument
He uses as the exalted Christ, to
control and overcome evil in the
world. He
speaks through
the
mouth
of
His church as
His church
faithfully
expounds and
bears
testimony to
His Word. His
Word
still
overcomes evil
and
the
demonic
in
your life, as
you believe it,
obey it
and
bear witness to it.
The
Triumph ofJesus Christ
Over
the Power
of
Satan
Because Jesus Christ has
defeated
and
overcome Satan, so
also shall CHRIST'S
PEOPLE
gain
the victory over Satan (and the
demonic). His work is no real
threat to the progress of God's
kingdom. Satan has been bound
by
Christ, and now his house is
being plundered. - Bahnsen, pg.
39. Christians do
not
have to fear
Satan and his demons,
but
we
must take them and their activity
seriously. And here is why:
(a). Jesus gave power over the
demons
to
His disciples, Mat.
10:1; Mk. 6:7; 9:38; Lk. 10:17;
Acts 5:16; 8:7; 16:16f; 19:12. He
never meant for the victory to be
His alone; He shares His mighty
power with believers so that they
too defeat the devil and destroy
his works. The kind of power
which Jesus
gives
is not something
of which the unbelieving world
can partake; even the professional
sorcerers do not have the power
which is bestowed
on
Christ's
apostles, Acts 8:9, 19, and when
they try to imitate it, dreadful
results rebound upon them,
Acts
19:13.. . -- This EXCLUSIVE
POWER OVER DEMONS which
Jesus has delegated to His
followers means two things:
FIRST, believers cannot
be
demon
possessed. There is an utter
antithesis between the Holy Spirit
and an unclean spirit, Mk. 3:29f,
just as their respective
descriptions indicate, I John 4:4 ...
SECOND, because of the power
which accompanies the preaching
of
the gospel, where the good
news of Christ's kingdom has
penetrated and taken root, it
scatters the darkness and
subsequently reduces the
occunence of demon possession
in
a sodety. - Bahnsen, pg. 39.
(b).
The New Testament is full
THE COUNSELof Chalcedon
August,1995
of indications that Christians have
the
ASSURANCE
OF ETHICAL
VICTORY in their encounters with
Satan
and demons See John
17: 15; James 5:16;james 4:7;
Eph. 6:10-18; I John 4:3-4; IJohn
5:18, which says:
He who was
bam of God keeps him and
the
evll
one
does
not
touch
him.
(c). Even in the face
of
severe,
physical persecution, the believer
wins
in
his war with Satan, I Pet.
4:11; 5:11;
Rev.
9:H; Lk. 10:19;
Rom. 8:35f; Rev. 12:1Of. Victory
over sin and preservation from its
power and
deadly effects
are assured
us. Satan
cannot gain
an upper
hand over us
even through
physical
fureatening
....
Bahnsen, pg.
40.
(d). Not
only is the
Christian's
victory over
Satan
and
the demonic evident
with respect to demon-possession,
temptation to sin, and
persecution; it is also clearly
evident with respect to the success
of evangelism, Mat. 12:28f. ---
The power
of
the proclaimed
gospel can shatter Satan's
attempt to lead people astray
from the truth. Thus the church
is assured of great power and
success when it faithfully
proclaims the whole counsel of
God, Rev. 19: IH. Because
CHRIST NOW RULES the
nations, Psa.
2:8; Rev.
12:5;
19:15f, SATAN is unable to
DECEIVE the nations, Rev. 20:2f.
A missionary door of utterance
has been opened to the nations for
-
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 7 - Sermon on Luke 4:31-44 - The Authority and Power of the Preaching of Jesus Part 2 - Counsel of C
2/6
faith which no
man
can shut, Rev.
3:7f; Acts 14:27; Col. 4:3. The
Great Commission shall be
accomplished, and all nations
shall be made disciples of Christ,
Mat. 28:18f; Rev. 7:9; 11:15;
15:4, since ALL
power in heaven
and earth have been granted to
Him and He is ever present with
this power
in
His church. Thus
the gospel is the POWER of God
unto salvation, Rom. 1:16.
Evangelism and doctrinal
edification are activities which the
believer can
FORCEFULLY
ND
SUCCESSFULLY engage in as God
brings all nations to serve His Son,
Acts 2:34f; Psa. 72;
Rom.
1:5;
15: 11; 16:26; I Cor. 15:25f; Col.
11:27f; IITim. 4:17. The
believer's victory over Satan,
therefore,
is clear from the fact
that Satan cannot prevent the
proclamation
of
the gospel from
being prosperous
in
this age.
Bahnsen, 40f.
The fact is that while Satan is
alive, he is NOT
WELL
His
power and kingdom have fallen,
and
presently he frantically
thrashes out his short remaining
time. Christ
has
deposed him,
crushed him, and shaclded him;
Christ's followers continue to
spoil his house. The only lordship
he retains is over the despicable
elements oflife symbolized by
dung. - Bahnsen, pg. 42.
(4:38-40) The Amazing
Authority and Power oj
Jesus ord
Over
Sickness
The Reality and Purpose oj
Miracles in the MinistJy ofJesus
The Reality
oj
Miracles
Three words
in
the
New
Testament designate the
miraculous works of God in the
Bible, miracle, wonder, and
sign, Acts 2:22; II Thes. 2:9;
Heb. 2:4. Miracle is dynamis
in
Greek, pointing to the divine
omnipotence operative in the
event. Sign is semeion, pointing
to the goal of the miracle---it is a
work of God which functions as a
word
of
God, which
simultaneously reveals the
presence and power of the
Kingdom of God and
authenticates and witnesses to the
fact that the Kingdom has come.
Wonder is teras, pointing to the
attention -compelling character of
the miracle. Putting the meaning
of these three words together, we
could define a miracle biblically as
an observable phenomenon
effected by the direct operation of
God's power, an arresting
deviation from the ordinalY
sequences of nature, a deviation
calculated to elicit faith-begetting
awe, a divine inbreaking which
authenticates
a
revelational
agent. - Vernon Grounds
in
Baker s Dictionary oj
Theology,
pg.
357f.
The Purpose oj
MiJ'acles
in the Ministry ofJesus
In jesus ' power to work
miracles, the coming of the
Kingdom of God is realized and
its presence is made evident. (See
notes below for proof.) The
Kingdom makes its triumphant
advance
in
the world through the
word ofJesus Chlist. And His
preaching of the kingdom is with
words and deeds, including
miracles. Therefore, jesus'
miracles reveal the coming
of
the
Kingdom of God.
(For a special insight into the
purpose of miracles, see:
Appendix: C.S. Lewis on
Miracles
on
page
nf.)
The Cessation
of
Miracles
jesus gave His apostles the
power to perf mI miracles in
order to AUTHENTICATE THEIR
APOSTOLIC MESSAGE, Le., to
confirm that His apostles,
under
the inspiration of the Spirit of
Christ, spoke and wrote the word
of Christ inerrantly, so that to
accept their words is to accept
Christ's words, and to reject their
words is to reject Christ's words,
Heb. 2:4. This is the reason Paul
calls this apostolic ability to
perform miracles as the
mark of
an apostle, II Cor. 12:12.
As
B.B.
Warfield
has
written: These
(miraculous) gifts ... were part
of
the credentials
of
the Apostles as
the authoritative agents of God in
founding the church. Their
function thus confined them
distinctively
to
the Apostolic
Church, and they necessarily
passed away with it.
(Counteljeit
Miracles, London, Banner of
Truth
Trust, reprint 1972).
Robert Reymond explains the
last sentence of Warfield: If the
apostles possessed special signs
which authenticated their claim
to
authority, II Cor. 12: 12; Rom.
15:18-19, they necessarily passed
from the scene with the passing of
the apostles. --- Clearly, miracles
selved here, (in Acts 14:3),
not
as
ends
in
themselves but as
'authenticating means' to an
'authority end,' Heb. 2:3-4. -
What About Continuing Revelation
and Miracles in
the Presbyterian
Omrch Today?, pg. 43, (Nutley,
N.j., Presbytelian and Reformed
Publishing Company, 1977).
The reason miracles were
the
signs of the apostles was because
miracles
had
a revelatory character
and the apostles were vehicles
of
divine revelation. Therefore,
because
of
this inseparable
connection
of
miracles with
revelation, as we
saw
in the role
of
miracles
in
the ministry ofJesus,
miracles were the
mark and
credential of Christ's apostles, and
August, 1995 l' THE COUNSEL of
Chalcedon
f 5
-
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 7 - Sermon on Luke 4:31-44 - The Authority and Power of the Preaching of Jesus Part 2 - Counsel of C
3/6
of
His prophets
in
the Old
Testament.' The reason miracles
passed off the scene with the
apostles,
is
that with the passing
of
the apostles, the completion
of
the
revelatory process which
produced
the Bible
had
,taken
place. When verbal revelation
ceased,
and
the all-sufficient Bible
was completed, there reTllained
no
further
need
for those signs that
bore wimeSs to revelation taking
place.
Miracles
do
not appear
(SOTERION
or SOTERIA
in
Greek), is not used in Matthew
and Mark, and it, (SOTERIA),
occurs only once
in
John.
In
Luke, however, SOTERIA, is used
four times,
1:69,71,77;
19:9),
and SOTERION is used twice,
2:30, 3:6. The word savior,
SOTER, occurs twice, 1:47; 2:11,
and
the verb, to save, SODZO, is
used more times by Luke than any
other gospel writer, 6:9; 7:50;
point of view. The healing
process is subordinated to a
higher purpose, and this higher
purpose furnishes the chief reason
why the occurrence is so
denominated. What is this higher
idea that stands in
the
ba
ckground?
t
is that of the
transference out
of
the sphere
o
death
into
the sphere
of
life:
- G.
Vos, pg, 260. It is exactly in the
delivery from death that the
:.Jesus Christ came to
on the
pages of Scripmre
vagrantly, here, there, and
elsewhere indifferently,
without assignable reason.
They belong to revelation
periods, and appear only
when
God is speaking to
His people through
raise His people from the
dead, spiritually in the new
birth and
physically
at
the
second coming
o Christ.
salvation of the kingdom
reaches its climax. 'Dead
persons are raised,
because in Jesus' action
that Kingdom is beginning
to be realized
in
which
there will
no
more
be
any
death,' Rev. 21:4; 20:14.
... the kingdom
of
God
revealed in miracles
signifies the redemption
accredited messengers,
declaring His gracious purposes.
Their
abundant
display
in
the,
Apostolic Church is the mark of
the
richness of
the
Apostolic Age
in revelation;
and
when this
revelation period closed, the
period
of miracle-working
had
passed by also, as a mere matter of
course. :--...
when
this historic
process
of
organic revelation
had
reached its completeness, and
when
the whole knowledge of
God designed for the saving
health of the world had been
incorporated into the living body
of
the
world's thoughts---there
remained,
of
course,
no
further
revelation to be made,
and
there
has been
accordingly
no
further
revelation
made:
Warfield,
Counteifeit
Miracles.
(4:38-39)
The Healing o Peter s
Mother-in-Law by Jesus
The
Relation o
Physical Healing
nd
Salvation
According to Luke
The word, salvation,
8:12,36,48,50; 9:24, 56; 13:23;
17:19,33; 18:26,42;
19:10;
23:35,37,39.
Luke also uses
salvation seven times nd
savior two times in Acts.
Therefore, it becomes apparent
that salvation' s the key to the
theology
of
Luke. His focus is on
the Divine-human SAVIOR,Jesus
Christ,
Who
is God
my
Savior
incarnate, Lk. 1 46f.
Luke emphasizes the fact that
Jesus brings a complete salvation
to the whole man in his whole
world; and he makes this point by
using the Greek verb, SODZO,
with reference to miraculous
physical healings He perfonns.
Our
English versions translate the
verb
in
these miracle stories
as
heal. For Luke the Greek word,
SODZO, has two predominant
meanings: to deliver and to heal,
or to make whole. However,
when save is translated heal,
Luke is
not
merely depicting the
healing act from a purely medical
6 THE COUNSELof Chalcedon August,1995
from all evil
and
the
restoration of the whole of life.
Ridderbos, The
Coming
of the
Kingdom, pg. 68.
See
Luke 6:9;
Mark 3:4; Mark 5:23; Matthew
16:25-27; Mark 8:35-38; Luke
9:24-26. Jesus Christ came to
raise His people from the dead,
spiritually in the new bi
rth and
physically at the second coming of
Christ, s Jesus said to His
Fathet,
....
.even as
Thou
gayest Him
authority
over all
mankind,
that t J
all whom Thou hast given
Him,
He
may
give eternal life,
In. 17:2.
And
in John
10:10 He said:
I
came
that
they
might have
life,
and
might
have
it
abundantly.
The Healing
o
Peter's
Mother-in-LqwZ
The brief narrative of the
healing of Peter's mother-in-law
conveys the impression of
unpretentiousness ... --- In
response to the disciples' request,
Jesus stood beside the bed, seized
the woman's
hand and
lifted
her
up. The fever was removed and
-
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 7 - Sermon on Luke 4:31-44 - The Authority and Power of the Preaching of Jesus Part 2 - Counsel of C
4/6
there was no trace of the weakness
which could be expected under
normal circumstances. The
woman immediately stood up and
ministered to
her
guests, (Le., she
fixed dinner for them).... Then
notice that the WOman
'ministered, (or served) to them'
confirms the mercy and
compassion extended toward her
by Jesus and indicates that the
figures in the background of the
gospel narrative are affected by
the power of this mysterious
Galilean."-
lane.
(In the
The Reason Multitudes Crowded
AroundJesus
We must not get too excited
about the "success" ofjesus'
minisny in the initial phase of His
Galilean minisny. The crowds
were coming to Jesus, not because
they recognized and submitted
to
His saviorhood and lordship,
but
because mmors were flying that a
miracle worker had come into
their vicinity. 'jesus had come to
preach repentance and the
sovereignly willed for them to take
place. The healings were not
caused by His touch,
but by
His
omnipotent word, which was the
expression of His sovereign will.
''The touch of the
hand
was
merely symbolical of the blessing
bestowed. No power flowed out
from the hands
and
physically
entered the patient. The power
was in the volition ofjesus, and
the miracle was wrought
in
a
supernatural way." - Lenski.
Gospels, discipleship is
defined by service, Mk.
9:33f; 10:43f.)
(4:40-41) The Healing of
Many People
With
Various Diseases and the
Casting ut
of
Many
Demons
he crowds were coming
to
Jesus,
not
because they recognized and
submitted to His saviorhood and
lordship, but because rumors were
The Casting ut of
Many Demons
Notice
the
clear
distinction Luke makes
between sickness and
demon-possession. Once
again he muzzles their cry
and silences their shrieks,
flying that a miracle worker had
come into their vicinity,
for they are powerless
before Him. "Jesus
'Ibis summary report
reflects the point of view of a
narrator who was excited with
what he witnessed."- Lane.
The Time of the Healings
The people came to Jesus for
healing in the early evening, after
sunset, which brought the sabbath
day to a close.
The Large Number
ofHealings
What an evening Countless
numbers of people coming to
Jesus Miracle
upon
miracle
performed by Jesus It was as i
the entire city was gathered at the
door of the house where Jesus
was, (the home of Peter and
Andrew,
Mk.
1:29). The verb in
Mk. 1:33 indicates that the
crowds were continually
increasing
in
size. All kinds of
people brought "all" kinds of
personal relations to be healed by
Jesus
of all lands
of diseases and
sicknesses.
'nearness of the kingdom but the
people think only of relief from
pain and affliction. They fail to
perceive the significance ofJesus'
conflict with demonic power. In
compassion and grace Jesus
extends to them authentic healing,
but
it is
not
primarily
for
this
purpose that he has come. -lane.
The Method ofJesus' Healing
Jesus' method of healing
people was flexible and varied.
He "rebuked'" the fever in Peter's
mother-in-law, 4:39, (while Mark
adds that Jesus "grasped her
hand"), and He "laid His hands"
on other sick people brought to
Him, 4:40. In one instance He
used His own saliva
in
the
healing, Mk. 7:33; 8:23. One of
the reasons for this flexibility is to
help people see that the
miraculous healings took place,
not because Jesus
cOlTectly
perfOlmed some magicahite or
symbol, but because He
forbids the demons to speak, for .
they know who he is; they
recognize him as their adversary
in
a conflict which has cosmic
proportions." - lane.
The Relation of the
Miracles and Preaching
ofJesus Christ
The powerful and authoritative
preaching ofjesus is no less proof
than the mighty miracles ofJesus
that the Kingdom of God has
come to earth
in
all its saving and
life-giving power. This is the
reason for Luke's emphasis in this
section of the AUTHORITY and
POWER ofthe teaching ofjesus.
"His word is
not
only a sign,
it
is
charged with power;
it
has
the
disposal of the matter, the
salvation which
it
defines;
it
is not
merely a word, but 'it shall
accomplish that which He pleases'
Who speaks it. That is why at
bottom there is
nb
difference
between the word
with
which
August, 1995 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon
$
7
-
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 7 - Sermon on Luke 4:31-44 - The Authority and Power of the Preaching of Jesus Part 2 - Counsel of C
5/6
Jesus
casts out demons, and heals
the sick) and His preaching of the
gospel. In both cases the word
and
what it indicates go together.
Nowhere does this connection
come to light more clearly than in
the story
of
the healing
of
a
palsied man, Mk.
2:1-12 and
parallels
.
- Ridderbos,
The
Coming
of
th
eKingdom,
pg. 72f.
Jesus' preaching of the
Kingdom confirmed by His
miracles is at the same time the
manifestation
of
the Kingdom, the
vehicle
through
which the
. Kingdom comes, the sign that the
Kingdom
has
come.
his
is the
reason
for the many expressions
of
amazement, astonishment,
confusion, bewilderment, etc.,
which describe the frame of mind
of
those who heard Jesus'
preaching
and
saw His miracles.
They are
not
intended, however,
onlyashistorical-psychological
descriptiOns of the impression that
Jesus made on
the multitude. The
evangelists, (Gospel-writers),
want
to
indicate that Jesus'
word and
work revealed the absolute, the
supernatural, and the divine in
such a way
that
even the
multitude could
not
but be aware
of
it.
As
has
been
said, this
amazement
is not only caused by
their witnessing of His miracles,
but
also by their listening to His
preaching, Lk.
4:22;
Mt.
22:22.
They
are
not
merely amazed at
Jesus' knowledge or wisdom or
ability
in
speaking, but at bottom
they respond to the powers and
the
authority revealed
in
His
word. In this respect there is no
difference between Jesus'
preaching and
His
miracles:-
Ridderbos, pg. 75.
(4:42-44) The Purpose
and Content of esus
Powerful Preaching
4:42-43) The Need of esus for
Private Worship and Rest
Before daybreak Jesus left the
crowds of the city unnoticed to
seek some quietness after all the
strenuous work of the previous
day, The crowds, however,
continued to
hound
him crying
out for more miracles. However
much sympathy and compassion
He felt for these needy people,
Jesus refused to continue His
healing of them. His task at
Capernaum was completed and
He
had to obey the will
of
His
Father and to proceed to other
cities, there to p ~ c h by word
and deed the glad tidings of the
kingdom of God. Geldenhuys.
While]esus is here depicted
as the great Physician of the
human body as well as of the soul,
we must
remember that NO ONE
HAS THE RIGHT TODAY TO
DEMAND THAT HE SHOULD
HEAL EVERY DISEASE and this
always, or
in
most cases, without
the use
of
medicine. He is still the
Almighty
and
Merciful Physician
who is able to heal any illness
without such aids where He so
desires. I t is, however, clear from
God's Word that it is not always
His will to heal diseases. --- .we
should never prescribe
to
God
how He is to act. The perfect
healing in soul
and
in body,
aChieved by Jesus for all believers,
will become full reality only at His
coming, when the faithful will live
and
rule along with Him in risen
and glorified bodies. Before that
Day no believe r has the right
to
demand perfect healing just as
he
has no right to expect that he will
be
exempted from all other
amictions of life and from death
.
Geldenhuys.
The
Return
to the Wilderness
To describe the place where
TH COUNSELofChalcedon August,1995
Jesus went for prayer, Mark uses a
double
tenn
meaning literally,
wilderness place: Mk.
1:35.
Its
reference is to a place of solirude
which in some sense recalls the
wilderness, Mk. 1:45;
6:31:-
Lane. Jesus withdraws
to
the
wilderness from the seeking
multirudes, with the result that
the multitudes pursue Him to the
wilderness, i.e., the place
of
solitude where He has gone to
pray. It appears that Jesus
deliberately withdraws from the
people to rerum to an area which
has the character of the wilderness
where He encountered Satan
and
sustained temptation. The nature
of
th
e temptation in eaCh instance
may be related
to
the clamor of
the crowds, who are willing to
find in Jesus a divine-man who
meets their needs
and
so wins
their follOwing. The people,
however, have no conception of
what it means to go out
to
the
wilderness to bear the burden of
judgment, as Jesus has done. He
turns from their acclaim,
returning
to
a place which recalls
his
determination to fulfill the
mission for which
he
has
come
into the world. - Lane .
The
Needfor Prayer
Jesus often prayed alone
at
night. The siruation again recalls
the wilderness when Jesus
confronts the temptation of Satan,
and is sustained by help from
God. His strength is
in
prayer
through which He affirms His
intention to fulfill the will of God,
which means His submission
to
the judgment of God ,, -Lane.
Jesus withdrew from the
crowds
to
this place
of
solitude for
a while to hold communion with
His Father in heaven,
and to
pray.
Holy and sinless as His
human
narure was,
it
was a nature kept
-
8/12/2019 1995 Issue 7 - Sermon on Luke 4:31-44 - The Authority and Power of the Preaching of Jesus Part 2 - Counsel of C
6/6
sinless in the regular use of means
of grace, and
not
in the neglect of
them. There is an example here
which all who desire
to
grow in
grace and walk closely with God
would do well to follow. We
must make time for private
meditation, and for being alone
with God. ---We live
in
hurrying,
bustl ing times. The excitement of
daily business
and
constant
engagements keeps many men in
a perpetual whirl, and entails
great peril on souls. The neglect of
this habit of withdrawing
occasionally from worldly
business is the probable cause of
many an inconsistency or
backsliding which brings scandal
on the cause of Christ. The more
work we have
to
do, the more we
ought
to
imitate
our
Master. --- If
the Master found the practice
necessary, it must surely
be
a
thousand times more necessary
for His disciples. - ] c Ryle,
EXpOSit01 Thoughts on the Gospels,
St. Luke, Vol.
1,
NY:
The Baker
and Taylor Co., ) pg. 127f.
lThe miracles of the
Bible
are
largely
confined
to
four eras, each separated
from the other
by
centuries: (1). The
Exodus from Egypt
under
Moses
and the
Conquest of Canaan
under
Joshua; (2).
The Ministries of Elijah
and
Elisha in
their war
with Baalism; (3). The
Babylonian Exile; and (4). The Ministry
of Christ and His Apostles. Outside of
these eras, miracles
are
rare
in
the
Bible.
Notice one thing these four periods
had
in common: much divine verbal,
inerrant revelation was taking place in
each era; therefore, many miracles were
taking place as the means
by which
God
was bearing witness to His revelation.
2We
learn from this
incident
that
Peter was married,
and
that
his
mother-in-law lived in his home,
probably
because her husband was dead.
All this is rather inconvenie nt for
Roman Catholicism which regards Peter
as the first pope
and
demands celibacy
for its priests. - Lenski, Interpretation o
Luke,
pg 270.
3Jesus rebuked the fever of Peter's
mother-in-law, 4:39,
and
He also
rebuked the wind, Lk. 8:24. The
word,
urebuke, indicates 'jesus' absolute
authority
in the
natural
kingdom
over all
desttuctive influences operating
in it
as a
result of sin and of the curse
on
the
world. This is however, also a
manifestation of the coming of the
kingdom
of God. Christ penetrate s
into
the province of the plince of this world
and
vanquishes the hostile powers which
devastate the creation. 'He is again the
Ruler, the Lord and the King ofnature. '
Ridderbos, The Coming o the Kingdom,
pgs. 67f. (Nutley, N.j., Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Company, 1975).
Appendix:
C. S. Lewis on Miracles
There is an activity of God displayed
throughout creation, a wholesale activity
let uS say whiCh melt refuse to recogItize.
The miracles done
by
God incarnate,
living as a man
in
Palestine, perform the
very same things as this wholesale activity,
but
at
a different speed
and on
a smaller
scale. One of their chief purposes is that
men having seen a thing done by personal
power on the small scale, may recognize,
when they see the same
thing done
on the
large scale, that the power behind it is also
personal- s indeed the very same
person
who lived among us two thousand
years ago. The miracles in fact are a
retelling
in
small letters of the very same
story which is written across the whole
world
in letters too large for some of us to
see.
Of that larger script,
parl
is already
visible,
part
is still unsolved. In other
words, some of the miracles do locally
what God has already done universally;
others do locally
what
He had not yet
done, but will do. In that sense, and from
our human point of view, some are
reminders and others prophecies.
God creates the vine and teaches it to
draw
up water by its roots and, with the
aid of
the
sun, to
turn
that water into a
juice
which
will ferment and take on
certain qualities. Thus every year, from
Noah
1
s time till ours, God turns water into
wine. That, men
fail
to see. Either like
the Pagans they refer the process to some
finite spirit, Bacchus or Dionysus: or else,
like the modems, they attribute real and
ultimate causality to
the
chemical and
other material phenomena which are all
that our sense can discover
in
it. But
when Christ at Cana makes
water
into
wine, the mask is
off,
In. 2:1-11. The
miracle has only hal f its effect if it only
convinces us that Christ is God: it will
have its full effect if whenever we see a
vineyard or
drink
a glass of wine we
remember that here
works
He who sat at
the wedding party in Cana. (pgs. 336-
337).
U;
the true miracles express not
simply a god,
but
God: that which is
outside Nature, not as a foreigner,
but as
her sovereign. They announce
not
merely
that a King has visited our town, but that
it is
the
King,
our
King. (pg.
339).
The second class of miracles,
on
this
view, foretell
what God has
not
yet done,
but will do, universally. He raised one
man, the man who was Himself, from the
dead because He will one day raise all
men from the dead. Perhaps not only
men, for there are
hints in
the New
Testament that all creation will eventually
be
rescued from decay, resto red
to
shape
and subserve the splendor of
re-made
humanity, Rom. 8:22. The Transfigura
tion, Mat. 17: If and
the
walking on the
water, Mat. 14:26,
are
glimpses of
the
beauty
and
effortless
power over
all
matter
which will belong
to
men when they are
really waked by God. (pg.339).
C.S. Lewis
'
comments on the miracle
of the incarnation are powerfu1. He
writes, N0 miracle
is
in fact more
significant.
What
happens in ordinalY
generation?
What
is a father
1
s function
in
the act of begetting? A microscopic
particle passes, it may be, the color of his
hair
and
his great grandfather
1
s
hanging
lip, and the human form in all its
complexity of bones, liver, sinews, heart,
and
limbs,
and prehuman
form
which the
embryo will recapitulate in the womb.
Behind every
spermatozoon
lies
the whole
history of the universe:
locked
within it is
no small part
of
the
world's
future. That
is God's normal way of making a m a n a
process that takes centuries, beginning
with the creation of matter itself, and
narrowing to one second and one particle
at the moment of begetting. - Once,
therefore, God does it directly, instanta
neously; without a spermatozoon, without
the millenniums of organic history behind
the spermatozoon. There was of course
another reason. This
time
He was creating
not simply a man,
but the
man
who was
to be Himself:
the
only
true
Man. The
process which leads to
the
spermatozoon
has carried
down
with it through the
centuries much undesirable Silt; the life
which reaches
us
by that
normal route
is
tainted. To avoid that taint,
to
give
humanity a fresh start, He once
short
circuited the process. (pg. 338).
August, 1995
t THE
COUNSEL of Chalcedon
t
9
top related