How? Surely someone on this earth has had the tiniest bit of faith...why hasn't anyone else been able to do miracles?
Did Jesus have access to secret knowledge? If so what knowledge and whose?
Like in the old testament, the magicians mimicked nearly everything that God had Moses do? Is this maybe part of the same knowlege? Or was it all just
trickery?
Why would He say we could do the same and more if only we believed? Is faith the same as postive thinking?
If secret knowlege, has it been lost over time?
Hello, Greenize.
Personally, I happen to believe that Christ's mission - or an essential part of it - was precisely to remind humans of their godly nature, of the
fact that they are co-creators IN God - if not of good, then of evil. (Because that's what fear - the offspring of ignorance - breeds: evil.)
The knowledge he was referring to was - and remains - "secret" only insofar people rely on their RATIONAL mind to access the "facts" of this world
and operate with them.
But the rational mind is not the cognitive organ of choice: it is only a
processor of a certain stratum of data - and a feeble one at that.
As long as people refuse to simply BELIEVE that "miraculous" things - yes, even moving mountains, if need be, and more - can exist, they won't see
any miracles; or if they see them, they won't believe them anyway.
It's quite simple, really - which is why Jesus expressed in very simple terms (see Mt 17:20 and many other instances).
But miracles do exist, people ARE able to perform them, and have been doing so since time immemorial.
One thing is certain (and I am speaking from experience, personal and observed): as long as "faith", not matter how "strong" it supposedly is,
remains RATIONAL only, it can only perform a social function (preserving certain moral standards of interhuman solidarity etc.) - which is fine,
considering mankind's wolfish nature, but that's NOT what Jesus - in my opinion - was talking about.
Everything he
ever talks about is every human's
PERSONAL liberation - through LOVE, the eros that connects, and thereby rules upon,
everything living - and rediscovery of his/her godly nature.
The kind of faith that you need for that purpose can only be found in the HEART, not in the mind.
Now, the term "heart" is widely misunderstood, especially in the West. Which is why I like to recommend reading the Sufi take on it.
The Sufis are usually described as "Muslim mystics" - which they are, but you absolutely don't have to be a Muslim to adhere to their teachings,
which are identical to Christ's in all the essential points.
(As a matter of fact, they insisted upon the fact that every person should find their way to God through the culture each individual was born within -
i.e. they advised against converting to other religions - which made them very unpopular with many other Muslims, but that's a different story,
albeit a very interesting one.)
So, try to focus on the knowledge accessible to your HEART, and operate through
unshakable faith that comes - again - from that heart.
Children do that (some, not all); "simple" minds do that (some, not all); it's the sophisticated rational thinkers, who take pleasure - and
ridiculous pride - in needlessly dissecting everything, who never see anything "miraculous" happen in their lives. No wonder they are so often
bitter; Einstein knew better, and he was not bitter.
Exercise your heart and banish doubts from your rational mind.
Then you'll walk on water.
[edit on 9-8-2009 by Vanitas]