As soon as we hear the words 'Faith' or 'Religion', we are tempted to think that it is 'unscientific'and therefore uncertain! The answer to this problem is given in our Post 'The Rationality of Faith'. Since Science deals with visible and material things only, it is easy to see its efficacy through the results achieved. 'Faith' or 'Religion' cannot be demoted to a purely visible level leaving out its invisible and immaterial component. A comprehensive and universal attitude, a presupposition for any rational attitude including the one in sciences, is required from anyone who wishes to follow a 'faith' or 'religion'.
We see in the Bible how much Jesus insisted on the need of faith , even when he worked miracles, from everyone who followed him. A clear instance is given in the Gospels ( See Mark, 4: 35-41) how Jesus calmed down a raging wind while sailing the sea by boat. "A furious squall came up, and the waves took over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped" (4:37). Jesus who was sleeping in the stern of the boat was woken up by the disciples with a desperate cry for help. Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind and the waves and they became still. Jesus was taken aback at the lack of faith of the disciples after having known him for so long. A very apt reminder to us how we sometimes panic in desperate situations though help is at hand and is with us through Jesus' presence for which faith is required. We complain about the delay in God's help to us, while all the time He is watching over us hoping that we would remember the numerous instances in our life we have been rescued! Such remembrances and corresponding loving attitudes are the best ways of thanking God for His assistance.
Faith in God and belief in Jesus Christ do not depend on miracles or extraordinary happenings in our life. Hearing the Word of God is enough for this. We see in the Gospels how some people at the cross upbraid Jesus with being the king of Israel challenging him to come down from the cross so that they too may believe in him (Matthew, 27: 40-45). If Jesus were to come down from the cross, those people still would not have believed in him as they were not willing to come to the light Where else do we have light if not in the words of Jesus embodying wisdom and life eternal starting here and now to be perfected in the life to come? That they would not have believed is evident from what Jesus says in the parable about the rich man's brothers even if Lazarus were to return from the dead to warn them! They would have refused to listen to him as they were in the habit of doing with what Moses and the prophets have said (Luke, 16:19-31). It means that the people whose hearts have been hardened by the worldly spirit are living in the dark and are incapable of discerning truth.They need to come to the light, to Jesus who is the Light of the world to see things as they are and not mere appearances and attractions of things. Faith, therefore, transforms us from looking at things merely in a worldly manner to the one of a spiritual outlook. This transformation impels us to produce fruits as grapes are produced by the vine and the vine here is Jesus Christ himself.
Healing of illnesses, exorcisms of evil spirits etc. need not necessarily be considered miracles, as they may be explained purely psychologically. This is the case especially with psychosomatic illnesses as well as possession by the devils. The fact that they too require faith in their efficacy adds to the psychological component in them.Even treatment by doctors of purely physical illnesses presuppose an implicit faith of the patients and their care-takers about the efficiency of the doctor and the efficacy of the medicines. The faith that Jesus demanded from the beneficiaries of his miracles as well as those interested in them was not an ordinary kind of faith in the natural order.
The kind of faith Jesus wanted his followers to have was one of a supernatural order. As God and the Spirit world or heaven are not bound by space - time limitations, mere faith in the natural order would not be able to raise a person above the world we are familiar with. This is why faith is always considered as a gift of God coming from above the natural world transforming the one who accepts it. Since Jesus came from above, he could demand this kind of faith in him from his followers whose ultimate focus should be on God the Father Himself. Unless the Father draws us to Himself neither could we believe in Jesus (John, 6: 44). Graces of God are given to everyone just as the Sun sends forth its light to all those who refuse to hide in dark caves. Faith is a supreme form of grace that transforms a person from this world to the next, that is but another superior plane of existence, not completely divorced from this world!
We see in the Bible how much Jesus insisted on the need of faith , even when he worked miracles, from everyone who followed him. A clear instance is given in the Gospels ( See Mark, 4: 35-41) how Jesus calmed down a raging wind while sailing the sea by boat. "A furious squall came up, and the waves took over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped" (4:37). Jesus who was sleeping in the stern of the boat was woken up by the disciples with a desperate cry for help. Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind and the waves and they became still. Jesus was taken aback at the lack of faith of the disciples after having known him for so long. A very apt reminder to us how we sometimes panic in desperate situations though help is at hand and is with us through Jesus' presence for which faith is required. We complain about the delay in God's help to us, while all the time He is watching over us hoping that we would remember the numerous instances in our life we have been rescued! Such remembrances and corresponding loving attitudes are the best ways of thanking God for His assistance.
Faith in God and belief in Jesus Christ do not depend on miracles or extraordinary happenings in our life. Hearing the Word of God is enough for this. We see in the Gospels how some people at the cross upbraid Jesus with being the king of Israel challenging him to come down from the cross so that they too may believe in him (Matthew, 27: 40-45). If Jesus were to come down from the cross, those people still would not have believed in him as they were not willing to come to the light Where else do we have light if not in the words of Jesus embodying wisdom and life eternal starting here and now to be perfected in the life to come? That they would not have believed is evident from what Jesus says in the parable about the rich man's brothers even if Lazarus were to return from the dead to warn them! They would have refused to listen to him as they were in the habit of doing with what Moses and the prophets have said (Luke, 16:19-31). It means that the people whose hearts have been hardened by the worldly spirit are living in the dark and are incapable of discerning truth.They need to come to the light, to Jesus who is the Light of the world to see things as they are and not mere appearances and attractions of things. Faith, therefore, transforms us from looking at things merely in a worldly manner to the one of a spiritual outlook. This transformation impels us to produce fruits as grapes are produced by the vine and the vine here is Jesus Christ himself.
Healing of illnesses, exorcisms of evil spirits etc. need not necessarily be considered miracles, as they may be explained purely psychologically. This is the case especially with psychosomatic illnesses as well as possession by the devils. The fact that they too require faith in their efficacy adds to the psychological component in them.Even treatment by doctors of purely physical illnesses presuppose an implicit faith of the patients and their care-takers about the efficiency of the doctor and the efficacy of the medicines. The faith that Jesus demanded from the beneficiaries of his miracles as well as those interested in them was not an ordinary kind of faith in the natural order.
The kind of faith Jesus wanted his followers to have was one of a supernatural order. As God and the Spirit world or heaven are not bound by space - time limitations, mere faith in the natural order would not be able to raise a person above the world we are familiar with. This is why faith is always considered as a gift of God coming from above the natural world transforming the one who accepts it. Since Jesus came from above, he could demand this kind of faith in him from his followers whose ultimate focus should be on God the Father Himself. Unless the Father draws us to Himself neither could we believe in Jesus (John, 6: 44). Graces of God are given to everyone just as the Sun sends forth its light to all those who refuse to hide in dark caves. Faith is a supreme form of grace that transforms a person from this world to the next, that is but another superior plane of existence, not completely divorced from this world!
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