When Jesus performed miracles during his time on earth many people were present who did not know that a miracle had taken place. Think of his first miraculous sign in which he turned water into wine (John 2). There were many present for the wedding but only a few knew what had happened. The disciples of Jesus and his mother knew; but most of the guests did not. Significantly, it seems the bridegroom did not know; and certainly, the “master of the banquet” had no idea of the source of this choice wine. Yes, there are times when a large crowd is aware of the miracle performed; John 6:14 indicates that most of the 5000 people fed by 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish understood that a great miracle had taken place. Yet, many of the signs performed by Jesus were witnessed by only a select few who told others about the event.
In contemporary times, how often might someone today witness a miracle which only a few see? As I think of my own life I realize there have been just a handful of events that are either clearly miracles or leave me wondering if they might have been miracles. I have blogged before about the disappearance of a brain tumor which, although not irrefutable, is one of the clearest examples of a miracle from my life.
There have been others. I think back to a particular “exotic dancer bar” in Calgary by which I frequently drove. I had seen provocatively-dressed young women come out of the bar get into the trucks of long-haul drivers as they made their way through town. I made an educated guess about what was going on and then I committed myself to praying for justice in this situation every time I drove past. Two weeks later the business closed down. Was that one of Jesus’ quiet miracles? When we moved to Vancouver I was told of a local bar that featured an annual anti-Christmas party that mocked Jesus. So, I again decided to bring this situation to God in prayer. A few weeks later the owners could no longer run the business and it shut down. Was this a quiet miracle?
How many other things might Jesus do around the world that go unnoticed by all but a few individuals? Are they less of a miracle because they are seen by only a few? Are there other incidents that I have witnessed without knowing that Jesus intervened? Were they a miracle that only someone else could understand?
In the gospel of John we are told that Jesus performed miracles as signs of his glory (John 2:11). Our western world needs to see some miracles that will point to the glory of Jesus. Our eyes need to be open and aware of what is happening around us so that we do not miss the miracles that may already be happening. Watch for a miracle today.