It is sometimes said that to whom much is given, much is expected. Being a Christian is a true grace, and a true blessing, but also a responsibility. As disciples of Christ, we have the responsibility to bear witness to him. It is therefore a matter of translating our experiences of faith with the Risen Christ into words and actions. As Christian believers we witness miracles and miraculous signs from God (as St John says). Miracles may be an answer to our prayer or the prayer of others. These are ways in which God speaks to us. This means that the purpose of a miracle is not in the “miraculous facts” (miraculous healing, an answered prayer) but in what it refers us to and reveals: God’s love for us.
Missed Opportunities and Conversion
In today’s gospel Jesus rebukes two cities: Chorazin and Bethsaida. These are two cities where He performed many miracles. The miracles he performed are signs of the omnipotence of his love. The response to these miracles, which the Lord expects with all his heart, is the acceptance of his love. Expressed in other words, it is our conversion. In the light of Jesus’ reproach to these two cities we see that they missed the opportunity that was given to them, a gracious moment of conversion. And why didn’t they convert to Jesus and his message despite all the miracles performed before their eyes? The answer is because they did not believe in Jesus and his message. To highlight the gravity of their refusal, Jesus mentions two biblical cities known for their iniquity: Sodom and Gomorrah (Cf. Genesis 13:12). We can say that at the heart of Jesus’ reproach are two things: faith and conversion.
Conversion means a change of direction, turning to God with all our heart, spirit, mind, will, strength, etc. Jesus multiplied miracles – signs before them in the hope that they would believe and be converted. Is this not a sign of God’s love? Let’s try to imagine the pain Jesus must have felt in his heart when he saw that these miracles did not produce the effects he had hoped for. Perhaps Jesus experienced here the feeling of failure. He used this reproachful tone probably with the hope of provoking their conscience, of getting them to open their eyes to the signs before them.
Miracles in Our Lives
In the light of this gospel, we can also examine our lives: are we aware of the miracles God is performing in our lives? Do they lead us to grow in faith, hope and charity? Or are our eyes closed to these miracles, to the signs of God’s love in our lives? Jesus is telling us that conversion is only possible if we believe that we are loved by God personally and freely. Romans 5:8 makes it clear: “But God proves his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is important for us to understand that God suffers when his children are indifferent to the signs of his love, especially in this time of global health crisis. God wants us to be happy and takes no pleasure in seeing us suffer. The joy that nothing can take away from us is a gift that we receive every time we open our hearts to His presence, to His love. He loves us with unconditional love and does not want any soul to be lost. Let us take time to meditate often on the gratuitousness of this divine love.
Let us remember that our God is slow to anger, full of love and tenderness (Psalm 145:8). As Christians, let us be joyful witnesses of God’s wonders in our lives, and around the world. This is an attitude of gratitude that leads us to praise.
[Readings: Ex 2:1-15a; Ps 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34; Mt 11:20-24]
