Surprises in Faith--by Linden Malki

Mary had faith  that Jesus would be capable of dealing with the wine situation at that wedding at Cana, no question.  Makes you wonder what all Mary had seen in the 30 years of raising the most unusual child in the history of the world!  It is also interesting that Jesus' brothers teased him about things that they had seen him do, but we are told that they didn't believe who he claimed to be; in fact, at one time they tried to take him home as crazy, and even had Mary come along for the what they expected would be a showdown. But at the end, after the Resurrection, two of them became major figures in the history of the church.  But Jesus was willing to accept their belated recognition. Faith is not always easy!

There are several incidents where Jesus healed people without even seeing them, on the words of faith by their family or friends. There was an civic official in Capernaum (who may have been a Roman), whose son was dying; a Phoenician woman with a daughter that was delivered from a demon, who was willing to take whatever He offered, and a Roman centurion whose servant was dying--all who recognized His power. 

Among those who came to Him in desperation were the woman in the crowd who touched the hem of his robe in faith, that even though she was considered "unclean" from her medical condition,  there was a chance that even the least contact with him would heal her.  There was also Bartimeus, a blind man who was sitting by the side of the road entering Jericho, who called out as Jesus was passing on the road, in faith that even this minimal  contact would be enough.

In all these stories and more, Jesus was willing to accept faith as it came, even second-hand, even from random people who were not necessarily his main calling.  He did not turn down any evidence of faith he saw; what he did reject were those who refused to listen and open their minds and hearts. In the time and place where he lived, those were people who had grown up for generations with the words of God and couldn't see past their own way of thinking, and usually their own way of believing they were totally right.

Do we put our own understanding and attitudes above what He is teaching us? We will never know all there is to know about God and His plans for us and our world; are we willing to have faith that He knows best?