The Life of the Christ - ForMinistry

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Resources for the Reader Miracles, Magic, and Medicine The Bible is a book of faith, telling the story of how God acted in history to protect and save humankind. Miracles are an important part of that story. God’s actions in miracles on behalf of the faithful are contrasted with the situation of those who looked to other gods and relied on magic, reading the stars, or calling on the spirits of the dead. Throughout the Bible, the miracles of God are extraordinary acts. These miracles are often unexplainable by the expectations, common at the time, of how nature works. The people praised God for these miracles, including God’s amazing actions in Israel’s history (Deut 7.19; 11.1-4; 34.10–12). The writers of Psalms and the later teachers of the Law of Moses saw God working in these miracles to preserve and reward the Israelite people, and to keep them living in God’s ways (Ps 105; 107; 136; see also Neh 9). Throughout the Bible, miracles are presented as signs that point to a larger meaning. This is evident, for example, in the descriptions of the Israelites’ experiences in the desert of Sinai, which show God’s special purpose for the people. Not only do they survive their ordeal, but they are brought into the land God promised to them so that they can worship the Lord (Deut 4.23-34; 6.21-25; 26.5-11; Josh 24.17). Miracles also helped the Israelites believe God’s promises because the Israelites could see them being fulfilled. Even a Babylonian king came to believe that Israel’s God had miraculous power after he saw how God preserved the three faithful young Israelite men in the fiery furnace (Dan 3). JESUS’ MIRACLES SHOW GOD’S LOVE AND POWER The New Testament reports Jesus’ many miracles. Yet, when Jesus’ opponents tried to test him by making him perform a miracle to prove that God was with him, Jesus refused (Matt 16.1–4; Mark 8.11,12; John 4.48; 6.26-34). Also, Jesus sometimes 118 warned people not to tell anyone about his miracles (Mark 1.44; 5.43), possibly because non-believers would have thought Jesus was just a magician. Often, it seemed that Jesus’ miracles only worked for people who believed (Mark 2.5-12; 5.34). His miracles were not for showing off. Instead, they demonstrated God’s love for the people (Luke 4.18-21) and announced the presence of the Kingdom of God. MIRACLES IN THE EARLY CHURCH At the time of the early church, public miracles helped people recognize that God was at work (Acts 2.19–22, 43; 4.30; 5.12,13; 8.13). At the same time, some people wrongly thought that the ability to heal and do miracles was a result of magical powers. In Acts 8.9-24 a magician named Simon claimed to be converted to Christianity, but he still had to learn that God’s power was a gift, and not some magic power that could be bought. The apostle Paul claimed that God helped him perform miracles to confirm the good news about Jesus and Paul’s own role as an apostle (2 Cor 12.12). He also told of Jesus’ miracles to help people believe (Rom 15.15–19). MAGIC, SORCERY, AND WITCHCRAFT In the ancient world, the belief in magic, sorcery, and witchcraft were common. The people of Israel claimed that the miracles performed by their prophets and leaders were different from these things because they were based on God’s power. The writers of the Scriptures often contrasted these “true” miracles with unusual acts done by the prophets and priests of other peoples and religions. For example, Joseph used God’s help to interpret the dreams of the king of Egypt after the king’s own magicians and wise men could not (Gen 41.1-36). Later, when the Egyptian king’s magicians turned their walking sticks into snakes, Moses and his brother Aaron used God’s power to do the same thing, and their snake ate the snakes created by the Egyptians (Exod 7.8-13). This showed the superiority of the God of Israel. In another case, Elijah showed that the power of Israel’s God was greater than that of the god Baal when God helped Elijah win a contest against the prophets of Baal (1 Kgs 18.16-40). Witchcraft was forbidden by the Law of Moses (Lev 19.26), because relying on spirits or powers other than God showed a lack of faith and trust in the one true God. Disobeying the command 119 Miracles, Magic, and Medicine
Resources for the Reader against witchcraft could lead to harsh punishment (Exod 22.18; Deut 18.10-13). When King Saul, Israel’s first king, was afraid of the approaching Philistine army, he did not pray to God for help. Instead, he broke the law forbidding witchcraft and asked a woman from Endor who talked to spirits to call on the prophet Samuel, who died some time before (1 Sam 28.4-20). In another example, when the people of the northern kingdom (Israel) disobeyed God by worshiping the stars and using magic, or by worshiping false gods like Asherah and Baal, God became so furious with them that he allowed them to be defeated by the Assyrians and carried away as prisoners (2 Kgs 17.16-18). Later, King Manasseh of the southern kingdom (Judah) sinned against God by worshiping the stars and planets, by practicing magic and witchcraft, and by asking fortune tellers for advice. Apparently, the advice he received included offering his own child as a sacrifice (2 Kgs 21.4-7). For Manasseh’s terrible sins, the whole nation suffered God’s judgment and punishment (2 Kgs 21.8-16). In another example, King Balak of Moab hired Balaam to put a curse on the Israelites, but Balaam would not do it (Num 22–24). His explanation to Balak contained this statement: “No magic charms can work against them—just look what God has done for his people” (Num 23.23). Parts of the New Testament make clear that sorcery and fortune telling were caused by evil spirits. In one case, a slave girl lost her power to tell fortunes after Paul ordered an evil spirit to leave her. This angered her owners because she could no longer make money for them by telling fortunes (Acts 16.16-19). In Galatians, Paul includes witchcraft on the list of “shameful deeds” done by those who obey their own selfish desires instead of obeying God’s Spirit (Gal 5.20). And in Revelation, a beast fooled people into believing in another beast who opposed God by doing magical miracles, such as making an idol speak as if it were alive (Rev 13.11-15). MEDICINE AND HEALING What does the Bible reveal about healers in the ancient world? In one part of the Old Testament, it says that King Asa’s death may have been from depending only on human healers, and not asking for God’s help (2 Chr 16.12,13). Also, the prophet Jeremiah questions whether medicine or doctors can truly provide healing (Jer 8.22). After all, God is seen as the main healer in the 120 121 Miracles, Magic, and Medicine Old Testament (Exod 15.26; Ps 41.1-4; Jer 17.14; Hos 6.1). In fact, often the priests were seen as healers on God’s behalf (Lev 13.1-3; 14.1-20). That is why Hannah went to the temple to pray for God’s help once she realized that she could not have children (1 Sam 1.1-18). (In ancient times, this was seen as sickness in a woman.) Some parts of the Bible reflect the belief that disease and sickness are caused by failing to live according to God’s Law (Deut 28.21-23,27-29,34,35), while health and well-being were seen as the reward for trusting God (Exod 15.26; Deut 7.12-15). Other parts of the Bible question this belief (Job 2, 42.7; Eccl 8.10-13, 9.2; John 9.1-7). People with certain diseases were set apart from the rest of God’s people because they were considered unclean (Lev 13; Num 12.9-14). While this was done primarily for religious reasons, those who had these diseases were not allowed to worship or be among their friends and neighbors until they were cured and had gone through a ritual cleansing ceremony (Lev 14). Jesus knew these laws about sickness and being cleansed, but he also showed himself to be a great healer. Many of Jesus’ miracles included healing people considered unclean. He encouraged the ten men he healed of leprosy to show themselves to the priests, probably so they could go through the ritual cleansing and be welcomed back into the community of God’s people (Luke 17.1-16). Another time, Jesus’ power healed a woman who had spent all her money and had gone to many doctors without finding a cure (Mark 5.25–34). Jesus offered his healing also to those who were not part of the Jewish people (Luke 4.23–29), just as the prophets before him had done (1 Kgs 17.1–24; 2 Kgs 5.14). This was surely amazing to many people, and was a way of showing that God’s love is for everyone. Around the time of Jesus, Greeks and Romans went to the shrines of a god of healing, hoping to be cured of their ailments. The early stages of modern medicine began in these shrines, but some of the cures developed there, like eating the liver of a fox or drinking juice from an iris plant, had no connection with the cause of the diseases. The Bible tends to teach trust in God along with prayer and fasting as the way to be healed from illness, rather than trusting in human doctors or healers. The Bible is not always against doctors and medicine though, and biblical authors were not aware of modern scientific techniques. After all, Luke, a companion of the
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This is a Portion of Holy Scripture
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New Life in Christ Invite Jesus int
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Contents Index to Special Articles
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Luke 1 at the right side of the alt
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Luke 1, 2 from the family of David
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Luke 2, 3 31 and foreign nations wi
Page 16 and 17: Luke 3, 4 back through Heli, 24 Mat
Page 18 and 19: Luke 4 21 Then Jesus said to them,
Page 20 and 21: Luke 5 God had given Jesus the powe
Page 22 and 23: Luke 6 You people who are laughing
Page 24 and 25: Luke 7 A Widow’s Son 11 Soon Jesu
Page 26 and 27: Luke 7, 8 48 Then Jesus said to the
Page 28 and 29: Luke 8, 9 twelve years. She had spe
Page 30 and 31: Luke 9 in the crowd shouted, “Tea
Page 32 and 33: Luke 9, 10 62 Jesus answered, “An
Page 34 and 35: Luke 10, 11 beaten up, he also went
Page 36 and 37: Luke 11 out demons, whose power do
Page 38 and 39: Luke 12 Worry 22 Jesus said to his
Page 40 and 41: Luke 13, 14 The Narrow Door 22 As J
Page 42 and 43: Luke 14, 15 down and figure out how
Page 44 and 45: Luke 16, 17 You are always making y
Page 46 and 47: Luke 18, 19 unfaithful in marriage
Page 48 and 49: Luke 19 QUESTIONS ABOUT LUKE 9.51
Page 50 and 51: Luke 20 14 When the renters saw the
Page 52 and 53: Luke 21, 22 places and put in jail.
Page 54 and 55: Luke 22 you should be like the leas
Page 56 and 57: Luke 23 things about Jesus and hope
Page 58 and 59: Luke 23, 24 QUESTIONS ABOUT LUKE 19
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Page 62 and 63: 111 The World of Jesus The World of
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