Saturday, October 22, 2011

John 7:30. A miraculous escape?

At this they tried to seize him but no-one laid a hand on him because his time had not yet come.

Yet another indication that Jesus was divinely protected during his ministry. The intervention of the supernatural in everyday life is a mystery. We know that it is very unusual but it is impossible to prove a negative. A GP in Southampton, Dr Peter May, has spent a lifetime debunking 'miraculous' cures, but his fellow evangelicals in London have been prosecuted for persuading AIDS sufferers to stop their anti-HIV medicines in favor of prayer. The AIDS patients subsequently died. The church in question was Nigerian with 12000 members with the pastor on £175,000 a year, lots of 'business' interests and four personal jets. Evangelical Christianity covers a multitude of meanings from hypercalvinism to the prosperity gospel.

My attitude to miracles is that they are exceedingly rare or they would not be miracles. We should never rely on them but be grateful if they occur. There is no harm in praying for them, but like St Paul we should rather pray for grace to bear life's hardships.

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