What About All Those Miracles? - Don Hanley’s blog #45

I was glad to be back in my dreamland with Mary and John. Now, I’m wondering who I’ll get to meet this time. I seemed to have stayed in my dream, and I was surprised to meet Joshua, Ruth’s husband, and their beautiful little girl, Julie. Julie was attractive like her parents, but her face was marred by a cleft palate. Ruth was also with them and told me that Luke was watching Paul if he woke up or needed to be moved.

Mary smiled and said, “Welcome back, my new and very old friend. I want to introduce you to two of my favorite neighbors and friends, Joshua, Ruth’s husband, and their beautiful daughter Julie.”

I hobbled over and shook both of their hands. It was so nice to have Julie’s tiny hands in mine.” I’m so glad to meet you and Julie; you are as pretty as your mom.” She smiled, and Joshua told me she was just two years and two months old.

“I’m glad to meet you, Joshua. I hear you knew Jesus from the time you were a little boy. How old was Jesus when you first met him?”

He looked at Mary and said, “I think he would have been around ten, don’t you think, Mary?”

“I would guess that would have been about right. It was before Joseph, and I took him on a trip to Jerusalem because I remember you telling us after you learned that the so-called wise men there were astounded at his questions and even answers about Yahweh. You said, ‘They should come to Nazareth and spend a few days with Jesus. They would learn far more than they know now.’” Both she and Joshua chuckled.

Mary looked at me and added, “Joshua followed Jesus around.” She looked at Joshua and continued, “I think you were his most consistent student and helper, don’t you?”

I just had to ask Mary and Joshua, “If Jesus was still walking among us today, would he have helped Julie with her lip?” John and Luke looked at me like I was some idiot, and Mary, being more kind and polite, simply smiled.

After an uncomfortable pause, John answered, “You’ve been exposed to too many tales about Jesus that mistakenly describe Jesus as some magical miracle worker rather than the enlightened messenger who had good news for all people. And again, let me tell you that he repeatedly told us, his disciples, after being asked to perform a miracle for someone. “If I am gifted enough to perform these kinds of miracles, I would be sitting all day somewhere performing healings, and people would be waiting in long lines. I would not be able to do what I have been sent to do, which is to enlighten people about their own miraculous powers - given by our Father when he created us and has remained hidden for too many even now. All creation is a miracle – especially humans.” 

John continued to say that Jesus was present when a few people began to ‘see’ more clearly the true meaning of life. And often they told everyone, ‘I had been ‘blind’ but now could ‘see.’ And a few other experiences like that." I asked him about the wedding feast where Jesus turned the water into wine. John chuckled and told me that there was a rich wine maker and grower in attendance that day and he was notoriously stingy. When Mary told Jesus that they were almost out of wine, Jesus asked the rich wine maker if he could share some of his wine. The man was so moved by Jesus's reequest and concern, he sent a servant to his home to bring back more wine. Those of us who knew the man, called it a miracle. It would not have seemed worthy of note, if we had simply said, "Jesus asked a rich fellow to share some wine, but calling it a 'miracle' made it notable. 

Later Luke told us he had a physician and friend in Jerusalem did have the training to be able to operate on Julie's lip, and he would talk to him when he was back in the capital.

Of course, this discussion on miracles helped me understand  more clearly the nature of Jesus and his mission. I sighed a deep sigh of relief and … disappeared. So, now, please …

Nurture and open your heart, study the menus and begin or continue to enjoy the banquet.

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