Jesus: Miracles, Wisdom, and the Path to Certainty
Acquiring Depth in Time
Jesus, following the meetings described above, continued to live like everyone else. He spent time with the 3 or 4 who had impressed him as friends, visiting them and going fishing with them. The trajectory described is situated in space and time, between what we could capture with a look and what could be a glimpse of what is really behind the show. Every type of event is telling.
John 2:1-2 – Miracle at the Wedding at Cana, Water into Wine
In this verse, the disciples doubted Jesus, although they believed in him. A conviction was produced in an event requiring repeated examination, which must be given space and time to take place. The discovery of a unique man by the first friends was followed by more and more people attending daily to the exceptional and extravagant personality of Jesus. Things, time, and space obey him without any magical apparatus. He drew what he wanted with a manipulation of reality quite natural, as if he owned reality itself. The gospel says that he arrived at night tired of healing, i.e., having exercised uninterrupted power over physical reality.
Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26 – Healing of the Paralytic
Matthew 22:15-22, Mark 12:13-17, Luke 20:20-26 – Tribute to Caesar
The Pharisees, involved in continuous diatribes, challenged him and put him to the test in every possible way.
John 8:1-11 – Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast the First Stone
The greatest miracle, which surprised the disciples every day, was not the leg straightened, sight restored, or skin retrieved. The biggest miracle was the revealing human look to which nobody could escape. Jesus looked into the man; no one could hide from him. His presence in the depth of consciousness had no secrets. Examples include:
- John 4:1-42 – Samaritan Woman
- Luke 19:1-10 – Zacchaeus, the Chief Tax Collector
- Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:13-17, Luke 5:27-32 – The Tax Collector
The ability to captivate the heart of man is the greatest miracle, the most persuasive. Jesus is imposed on the conscience. He feels at home inside others. The power and goodness of Jesus are evident. It is difficult for a powerful person to be truly good. In Jesus, however, his witnesses could see that look not only powerful, prodigious, clever, and captivating, but also good. It seems impossible that so much power is within a horizon of deep kindness. This is shown in:
- Luke 7:11-17 – Death of the Only Son of a Widowed Mother
- Luke 13:10-17 – Healing of the Bent Woman
Different Gospel accounts outline his focus on children and his ability to relate with them:
- Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17
- Matthew 18:1-11 – Jesus Calls a Child to His Side
- Matthew 12:9-21
Jesus accepts with pleasure what man can give and does not make repairs of any kind, either politically, socially, or culturally. Example:
Luke 7:36-50 – Story of the Prostitute
It is also worth remembering that Jesus was moved to tears by the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11:1-46). Jesus weeps that evening in the Mount of Olives at the splendor of the temple at sunset, presaging the destruction of the city (Luke 19:41-46).
The Emergence of the Question and Certainty
There is something about Jesus, a mystery, because they had never seen such wisdom, such ascendancy, such power, and such goodness. This impression, as we have said, becomes gradually more and more accurate only in those who engage in systematic coexistence with him, thus born spontaneously are the disciples. A question arises: Who is it? Paradoxical, because they knew the origin of Jesus. This question shows that He is, in fact, something we could not say for ourselves. We can only state that he is unlike any other, that he deserves the fullest confidence, and that following him is experiencing a fullness of life beyond compare. So they ask him who he is. Only when he gave the answer did his friends believe in his word, not because it was self-evident, but clearly showing that the trust was imposed. His enemies did not accept that answer and decided to eliminate him.
John 6:22-59 – I Will Give My Flesh to Eat and My Blood to Drink
In this verse, Peter said something that sums up the experience entirely sure for all of them: Lord, nor do we understand what you say, but if we left you, with whom shall we go? You have the words to explain and give meaning to life. This is an application of the observation, already referred to existential or moral certainty. Their attitude is, in fact, deeply reasonable (if I cannot believe this man, I cannot believe in anything). Eventually, they acquired respect for the man, a certainty beyond compare. A screen placed in front of reality makes the real object unknowable, while the moral certainty that comes from a completely open and fair availability in time is the cradle of a reasonable existence.
Who Are You?
Mark 4:35-41 – For Friends, John 10:24 – For Enemies
Jesus waited for time to entrench his disciples in the certainty of his accession and his obstinate enemies in hostility.