Why did Jesus perform miracles?

[jesusmademe]

It seems to me that miracles don’t help much. People don’t really come faith through miracles. People whom Jesus healed already seem to have beleived. Maybe they grew in their faith but I am not so sure about it.

You need to have a deep longing in your heart for something, the good life. and for someone, Jesus. I dont see how miracles will help with this. It is only in our daily struggles that we come to faith.

It seems to me that the miracles of Jesus didn’t help much. Now, this what I as a non-expert see it. Here I am refering to people being cured of something.
The people who got cured seemed to have a medical rather than psychological problem/issue. Why did Jesus focus on medical rather than pdycholohical?
Why were the miracles important?

 

[DeSales111]

I just want to say something from experience, miracles are like the Word of God, which in a way they are since they are His commands, they do not return void. Since a demonic attack in January 2010 we have been the recipient of so many miracles. Looking back I can see God’s plan behind each one of them, they all had purpose. I will leave some examples.

Psalm 23 coming out of my mouth the night of demon attack. Purpose - it saved us from harm as the demon then disappeared

Eating lunch and having God tell me to get up and leave. He took me to a homeless encampment where there was eleven of them sitting around a fire, there was one empty milk crate to sit on, they told me to sit down and join them. When I asked what I could do for them they told me they had no food on Wendsdays. I fed them and prayed with them for well over a year every Wednesday. Purpose of the miracle - to serve others.

The double rainbows behind our church after my wife and I had our marriage convalidated just in time for her to come into the church that Easter. Purpose - to backup what my wife and I had been focusing on as we prepared for months to be married in the Church, that our love and marriage would be an unbreakable covenant with each other and God.

A lightbulb lighting up pink twice the day after my wife had a miscarriage and we lost our baby. It was not plugged in and even if it was it can not turn pink without being commanded to do so. Purpose - to let us know our baby was a little girl and to heal our devestated and broken hearts

These are just a brief sample, there is not enough room in these forums if I were to post all the miracles God has done for us

The bottom line, the miracles are acts of love from God, they heal, they serve, they protect, they increase faith, they save, and some are just a kiss and hug from heaven. No one outside of the miracles has to believe or understand, those who are receipients know and understand why God touched them with His grace.

God is just being God the Father, providing and caring for His children because He loves them.

 

[spiderweb]

On one level you have a point. Miracles don’t help much for people that can reject it easily simply because they didn’t witness it for themselves. However, it can be very hard to deny a miracle if you personally are the recipient of the miracle or know the person that it happened to.

In the case of Jesus, he used miracles to demonstrate the truth of his words, namely that he came from God, and had the authority to speak in his name. A classic example is Mark 2:1-12 in which Jesus even says that that is the reason for the miracle. It also says that Jesus healed simply out of compassion (Mathew 14:14, Luke 7:12-15 and others) and that certainly helped those people who were healed. The miracles convinced at least some of the people to become the first Christians, that he really came from God, and that what he said was true. They served their purpose.

There are some specific statements of what illness they were healed from that are recorded, but there are many cases when he heals “multitudes” with no specific illness mentioned (Luke 6:17-18). It is very possible that many were healed of psychological illness, but that it isn’t specifically recorded possibly because physical illnesses were the most obvious.

 

[Vico]

…Why did Jesus focus on medical rather than pdycholohical?
Why were the miracles important?

Catechism 515 states that “everything in Jesus’ life was a sign of his mystery. 175 His deeds, miracles and words all revealed that “in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” 176” [ 175 Cf Lk 2:7; Mt 27: 48; Jn 20:7. ; 176 Col 2:9.]

Modern Catholic Dictionary states about miracles that:

They may be divided into five classes: nature miracles; miracles of healing; deliverance of demoniacs; victories over hostile wills; cases of resurrection.

Nature Miracles. Under this head nine miracles may be enumerated. …

Miracles of Healing. These were numerous during the public life of Our Lord. There are references to a great many cures that are not related in detail (Matthew 4; Luke 4, 6; Mark 6), and twenty special cases are recorded. …

Deliverance of Demoniacs. General formulas regarding the driving out of devils (Mark 1) indicate that such acts of deliverance were very numerous during Our Lord’s public life. …

Victories over Hostile Wills. Under this heading Catholic scholars admit a greater or smaller number of miracles; it is not clear in certain cases whether the incidents in which Our Lord wielded extraordinary power over his enemies were cases of supernatural intervention of Divine Power or the natural effects of the ascendancy of his human will over that of other men. …

Cases of Resurrection. Among the signs of his Messiahship which Our Lord gave to the delegates of John the Baptist, we read: “The dead rise again” (Matthew 11; Luke 7). This general statement has made some commentators think that there were cases of resurrection not described in the Gospels. This is possible because the Gospels do not aim at completeness, but the expression quoted would be justified by the three following cases of resurrection, which are related. …

Dictionary : MIRACLES OF CHRIST | Catholic Culture

To which can be added transubstantiation. So there are a variety of reasons for miracles in these different categories perhaps in addition to being signs.

 

[tafan2]

We often think that Jesus performed the miracles as signs for the Jews at that time. I think they were performed for all of us. We likely on those miracle stories for our faith more than we realize.

He also performed them out of live to the individuals he was helping.

 

[CelticWarlord]

Jesus’ miracles, to my mind, were acts of mercy and had nothing to do with an individual’s response. The same can be true today. Miracles are not, traditionally, confined to those of great faith. They are God’s presence made known, perhaps for the sake of a single onlooker.

 

[Mary888]

Saint Mary of Egipt and many others not only changed their lives but lived saintly lives and joined the Heavenly Orders based on miracles.
A miracle is a gift. Like life. What you do with it - is up.to you.
When he healed the man born blind Jesus was asked what sin had the man done or his parents for him to be born blind. Jesus replied the man had done no sin, nor his parents, it was all prepared so He can perform the miracle and the unbelievers to believe.
Some people believe upon miracles others just find another worldy alternative explanation for it and move along. God’s door is always open but He won’t force anyone through it.

 

[Genesis315]

The Church teaches that miracles were given as motives of credibility as to what was God’s authentic revelation.

First Vatican Council:

1. Nevertheless, in order that the submission of our faith should be in accordance with reason, it was God’s will that there should be linked to the internal assistance of the Holy Spirit external indications of his revelation, that is to say divine acts, and first and foremost miracles and prophecies, which clearly demonstrating as they do the omnipotence and infinite knowledge of God, are the most certain signs of revelation and are suited to the understanding of all.
2. Hence Moses and the prophets, and especially Christ our lord himself, worked many absolutely clear miracles and delivered prophecies; while of the apostles we read: And they went forth and preached every, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it [18]. Again it is written: We have the prophetic word made more sure; you will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place [19].

18 Mk 16, 20.
19 2 Pt 1, 19.

https://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V1.HTM

 

[De_Maria]

Why did Jesus perform miracles?

There are many reasons for Jesus’ miracles, not the least of which is that by them, He laid the foundation for the Sacraments.

In the Sacraments, we come to Christ in faith, asking Him to heal us and our children of sin. Jesus got the masses used to coming to Him for healing. Then to His Apostles. And now to the Church, through the Sacraments.

 

[jesusmademe]

Actually, I think the reason for asking the question is this:
I often experience an inner inclination. It is like I just have to do something. Much of it could very well just be me wanting things my way rather than the Lord’s way.
Some inclinations or longings don’t go away. These are in no way to be romanticised. I will have to endure the hardship of the stuggles of daily life. Or maybe I should use the term spiritual warfare.
For most of us, it seems, God has put certain longings in our hearts but will only guide us without a specific miracle. Some say that if God wants something He will just let it happen. If He wants someone to become a chef He would just let happen. First of all I dont think God just gives us only one option in life and secondly He doesnt lead us with something other than His commandments, sacraments and spiritual direction.
We dont get to experience extraordinary miracles that will lead us to our calling or callings (we have many in our life).
I do believe that the Lord can infuse in our heart a great longing just to do something.
Some people say that the people who recieved the healing miracles of Jesus might as well just have gone home and never really experience a change of heart.
Did they ever grow in faith? I don’t know.
I only grow in faith trough the daily spiritual warfare. St Paul did have a conversion miracle you could say but then he had to endure a the spiritual warfare with a thorn in the flesh.
What to make of this?

 

[Vico]

… he had to endure a the spiritual warfare with a thorn in the flesh.
What to make of this?

Epistle of St. Paul, Colossians 1:

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, 25 of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, 26 the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.