Miracles

image from sundayschoollessons.com

One of my students this morning asked a question that fits appropriately with the gospel reading from today.  She asked why the Church doesn't talk more about miraculous happenings, like statues weeping or the apparitions of Mary.

The gospel today was the healing of the blind men, Matthew 9:27-31:

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

Jesus, like the church today, wants his followers to focus on FAITH, not on miraculous actions or events.  The blind men are healed by their faith, healed because they believe Jesus has the power to heal them.  Jesus then tells them not to talk about what happened, not to pass on word of his miracles.  Of course they do, but that's beside the point.

Another one of my astute students said that if she was presented with the miracles but had no faith she would probably think that Christians were a little crazy, that the events were more like special effects from a sci-fi movie than actually reality.

What do you think? Are miracles, such as weeping or bleeding statues, helpful, or a hindrance to faith?  Would they convince someone who is unfamiliar with Christianity, or would they just roll their eyes in annoyance?  What about miraculous healings?  Could an experience of healing make an unbeliever turn to faith?