Friars Corner: Jesus’ healings and miracles
Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR
Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24; Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-13; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-43
As we look through the four gospel accounts, we can see a difference between Jesus performing countless healings and a very small amount of miracles. Healings can be in the physical, mental or spiritual realms. As there are many sicknesses, there can be many healings through divine power not just by drugs. Some people call a healing a miracle. And for some, a dramatic healing might be called that.
In scripture, Jesus’ ability to transcend the laws of physical nature results in miracles. In Mark 6, Jesus feeds five thousand men with five loaves and two fish. Jesus looked to his heavenly Father in prayer, then blessed the bread and fish for distribution to the people. All were satisfied and twelve baskets of fragments were left. This was not a men’s retreat. If you get out your calculator — how many wives, children, relatives and others were fed? Perhaps twenty-five thousand. This was a miracle.
The bread from heaven
Look in John 6, which refers to Jesus as “the bread come down from heaven.” How many does Jesus feed every day at Mass all over the world? God invites us to this great daily miracle yet very few understand and come for this free meal.
Jesus also walked on water, calmed storms and raised people from the dead. Are those also miracles? Yes.
As Jesus began his public ministry, he went to the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath. St. Luke tells us in 4:18-19, that Jesus was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and read,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and release of prisoners and to announce a year of favor from the Lord.
Healing categories
The major way Jesus got people’s attention was through healing. Twenty percent of his public life was spent healing people of all kinds of illnesses. There is a formula in many recorded healings as in the gospel of Mark today. I put these healing stories into these categories: 1) those who were present where Jesus was healing.
- those who heard of his healings and came to Jesus themselves.
- those who were brought to Jesus by others.
- those Jesus met while traveling.
- those Jesus directly sought out.
- those at a distance.
- those who needed to be freed of evil spirits.
These are amazing and thrilling stories. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and unlock your mind.
As Jesus trained his followers, he “summoned the twelve and gave them authority over unclean spirits. . . .So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” Later they “gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.”
People kept coming from all sides and there was not even time for them to eat so Jesus took them off by themselves in a boat to rest. Yet the people saw the direction of the boat and went around the lake to get there before Jesus and the twelve got there. They didn’t want to miss anything.
Jesus’ healing ministry today
Many don’t realize that the church continues Jesus’ healing ministry every day all over the world in hospitals, nursing homes, in missionary activities and daily at Mass. You ask, how so at Mass? Before we receive Jesus in Holy Eucharist, we ask forgiveness for our sins and say, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, say but the word and my soul shall be healed.” Yet is the healing only in our soul or can it be in what ails us? Jesus knows everything and wants to heal us if only we have the faith of the woman in today’s gospel, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Praise God.
This week in the USA we celebrate our Independence Day. Let us thank God for all his great blessings in this country where we are free and have so much for which to praise God. Let us commit ourselves to ask the Holy Spirit to show us more wonders about these Jesus healing stories. Let us also pray for a great awakening of faith in Jesus, our healer, teacher, Lord and Savior. Amen!
Healing blessings to you all and a safe and happy 4th of July.
- Fr. Bob Hilz
(© 2018 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)
