Dear Theophilus,
I can’t imagine that God looks
favorably on those who attempt to throw his son off a cliff! I hope they came up with some mighty good
excuses before they had to face God on judgment day—I know I would be rather
perturbed by their efforts, especially if it’s understood that those harsh
words of Jesus were meant to save them!
It’s tough to wrestle with the
difficult words of Jesus. As a
hot-blooded male, I know myself well enough to know that I would be rather
riled up if Jesus inferred that I might be on the outside looking in,
especially if I lived my life in the understanding that God’s love was very
close to me. How would you, Theophilus,
as a man of faith, respond to such harsh words from Jesus and from John? If I were in your shoes, I’d be angry at the
man, and my defensiveness would probably close any doors of receptivity that
might have been opened when he first stood to preach. It’s easy to look back and say I would have
heard what he said objectively, but I know myself better than that—I would have
been steamed! I’m not sure I would have
been angry enough to push Jesus off a cliff, but I can’t say for certain that
if a mob began to move in that direction that I would have the resolve to step
aside. I certainly wouldn’t be one
standing in their way, trying to urge them to use caution and carefully
consider how they might amend their ways to be in line with the words of this
carpenter’s son.
I’m not sure any of us like to hear
words that challenge us. I think we much
prefer to hear words of affirmation, words that confirm our choices and our
path in life. This entire project has
upset me to a certain extent because it goes against the choice I have made to
not have faith in God. To some degree it
remains an academic exercise. But I know
that if I carry on in the same direction, at some point it will surely
challenge more than just my mind—and then I will have a decision to make. I hope that I will reach that point with an
open mind and an open heart, but I fear that my own defenses will raise their
ugly heads and that I will be casting the possibility of faith off the proverbial cliff.
Jesus could never have survived a
public ministry that consisted merely of confrontation. Eventually, a crowd would have managed to succeed
at trying to kill him. Also, there would
have been little merit to any claim that he was more than a prophet—his words
needed to be backed up with actions. To
that end, Jesus went to Capernaum, which is a city in Galilee, and taught there
on the Sabbath. His teaching was
amazing—people who listened to the man teach were astounded at the power and
authority with which he taught. It was
clear that he was not just another itinerant teacher or preacher—he was
something more. His actions that
followed his teachings were the proof of their suspicions.
Where he was teaching, an unclean
demon was inhabiting a man. (I will
confess that these things are not easy for me to relate—the whole idea of
spirits and demons are so foreign to me that I feel as though I am telling some
child’s tale, but this is the story that was related to me, so I will tell it
as it was told me.) In the midst of Jesus’
teaching, the man (or the demon, however that works!) screamed, “Leave us
alone, Jesus of Nazareth! What is your
business? Are you here to destroy
us? You are the Holy One of God—I know
just who you are!”
At this point, surely the entire
synagogue was still, eyes racing between the man and the teacher. Minds were whirling even faster, taking in
what the man had said, piecing together these accusations with the thoughts
they had while he was teaching. Everyone
waited to see what might happen next.
Jesus, speaking not so much to the
man as to the demon, rebuked him, “Quiet, and come out.”
Simple words, but what happened
next was not so simple. The man was
thrown to the ground before everyone, and while people gasped they could sense
the demon emerging from this man without harming his body. I wish I could know if they saw something
visible rise from his body, but there is no report as to this question. Their attention was torn between Jesus,
standing sternly before them, and the man on the ground, somehow shocked still
at what had happened. They were amazed,
asking each other what Jesus had said, incredulous at how he spoke with power
and authority, having not seen a man command an unclean spirit to emerge from a
person like this.
You can imagine, Theophilus, how
quickly word spread throughout the region.
People must have raced from the building to relay the events to
neighbors and friends—such a thing would have been hard to describe, and while
I’m sure the tale got larger and larger with each telling, I have pieced
together what I believe to be true to relate to you. Even without exaggeration it is an incredible
tale—one I would have to see with my own eyes to truly believe. I search and search for some alternate
explanation for the facts that are before me, but I am empty, uncertain what to
make of it all.
Had it been just this healing,
perhaps we could say it was just a singular instance of the unexplainable
occurring before us. However, Jesus went
from this synagogue to Simon’s house, where his wife’s mother was suffering
from the fever. The reports of Jesus’
power had reached this place, and so the people asked Jesus about this woman,
if he could heal her, if he had power over every body. Before a wide-eyed group, each trying to
capture every movement of the man, Jesus stood over the woman and rebuked the
fever with the same sternness and authority with which he had spoken to the
demon.
The fever left as quickly as the
demon had, and the woman visibly recovered before their very eyes, the fever
vanishing and all traces of illness leaving her body. She regained her strength so quickly that she
was up and serving them as though nothing had ever happened.
Well, one healing is incredible,
and two will cause news to travel even faster.
Before the end of the day every sick person in the region was racing to
Jesus, some brought by friends and family.
It mattered not what kind of illness they had—Jesus laid hands upon them
all, curing each one. Demons were being
cast out too quickly for anyone to count, some of them screaming at Jesus,
calling him the Son of god. Jesus
rebuked the demons, ordering them not to speak of their knowledge of his
identity as the Messiah, but all around were amazed at what was occurring
before them. Some stayed for hours just
watching the man, not believing what their eyes were relaying to their
minds. Friends spent time trying every
different explanation for what was happening, but each one, by the end of the
day, had to accept the miraculous. Some
went away not believing, convinced there had to be an alternative explanation,
but no satisfactory one was offered.
The next morning, you can imagine
the crowd that was searching for him. A
man who can cure every malady is in high demand, and they had many ailing who
wanted his attention. Even the well didn’t
want to see him go, for this was such a singularity that they did not want to
see him departing, for such a thing must be held onto, examined from every
angle, until an explanation is found.
They found him in a deserted place where he had gone, and they wanted to
learn from him, to listen to him, to have him lead them. They tried to prevent his leaving, but he
insisted that the good news of God’s kingdom must be announced and proclaimed
in other cities also, for he wasn’t sent for the purpose of just one place, but
for every place. Against such words they
had no argument, and while they still insisted that he stay, they did so
half-heartedly, knowing that a man with such power would not assent to their
arguments, knowing that they were filled with enough stories to keep the town
buzzing for generations.
As for Jesus, he went to the
synagogues in Judea, proclaiming his message, and challenging all those who
heard about him.
As for me, I read this story with
jealousy, wishing I could have been there, wishing I could have seen the look
on Jesus’ face as he cast out demons, wishing I could interview the man who was
healed. I want to know if the demons
were real, if Jesus’ power was palpable to witnesses, if the stories still
travel the countryside. I want to hear
the man preach, to experience the authority with which he spoke, to know if he
really is who the demons claim that he is.
What wonders are contained in this
man’s life! I hope to someday know about
them all, that each may be held up before the light and examined as a precious
jewel, that I may know if it is real treasure or merely counterfeit stones, the
work of a fraudulent, but brilliant, artist.
I can only hope that my pursuit of the truth will lead me to a place
where such revelations may come.
Sincerely,
Luke
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