URC Daily Devotion Thursday 16 January 2025

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child.  Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him.  I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’  Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’  While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

Reflection

Let’s start with a naïve question : why did Jesus perform miracles?
 
Any miracle is an outpouring of God’s power and when Jesus performed miracles they were a sign of the arrival of God’s kingdom in him, revealing Jesus’ identity as the Christ, and also fulfilling Old Testament prophecy about the healing of the lame, sick and blind.
There is something about the way in which the miracles are related in the gospels which feels as though the power of God was present in Jesus in such a way that sometimes the discharge of power was inevitable, even uncontrolled. Rather like high voltage electricity arcing through space in a crackle of energy, the great power of God surged through Jesus. This could lead to healing even without Jesus’ conscious action – as when the woman with the haemorrhage touched Jesus’ cloak.
 
This might leave us feeling that miracles are very much a part of the life of Jesus, but have very little relevance to our lives.
 
But today’s miracle is an act of deep compassion by Jesus. The boy’s father begs Jesus to help, his disciples having failed to heal. As the boy is brought forward he again has a seizure and immediately, without any fuss, we are told that Jesus heals with a few simple words.
The boy needs help and healing – Jesus gives it. The people around are all amazed at the greatness of God.
 
Here is a story which can seem directly relevant to us, as the body of Christ. Where we see people in need, where others beg for help, where healing is required – then we should act with the compassion of Jesus. Where we can, we should be a conduit for God’s love and wholeness. When we do this, we are not only acting as decent human beings, or even showing that we are followers of Jesus, we are helping to open hearts around us to the greatness of God. This should challenge us to act.
 
Prayer

God who is love,
Through your power, shown in Jesus, a boy was healed.
By that same power, challenge us to act in your name,
So that your healing love may be seen at work in our day,
And Christ’s church may continue to reveal your glory.
So may we and all your children be made whole. Amen.