40 Days of MiraclesSample

Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit from a Man in Capernaum

Jesus performs a miraculous deliverance almost as a parenthetical interruption to His teaching at a synagogue. Both Mark and Luke record that the people are amazed at Jesus' authority. As if on cue, an "unclean spirit" interrupts the Lord through a demonized man, provoked by Christ's presence and power. Jesus immediately responds and commands the spirit to be silent and leave the man. Luke's more precise account records that the spirit throws the man down as it departs, leaving him unharmed. The poor man is an entirely passive beneficiary in this narrative. The conflict takes place solely between Jesus and the unclean spirit.

Too often, we imagine that God's miraculous intervention on our behalf depends on us, our faith, or our expectancy. We often feel guilty if we don't see God move miraculously. However, in this instance, God's sovereign grace and mercy alone are in view, which teaches us this: there is no formula. There is only the goodness of God upon which we can always rely.

Questions for Reflection

• What, if any, "formulas" have you been taught will reliably lead to miracles? How's that working for you?
• How has your trust in God's goodness been impacted by answered or unanswered prayers for miraculous intervention?
• What about this story concerning Jesus' authority encourages you?