Ain't Technology Cool?
Just for fun, I'm handwriting my blog today.Handwriting it? How is that possible? And is "handwriting" even a verb? Stop! You're freaking me out!
Sunnyside is providing all its teachers with Tablet PC's and I am at a 4-day training session this week. One of the many things these computers can do is allow you to write on the screen and convert your handwriting (noun...properly used) to text. The educational applications of these things are far too various and boring to go into. But they are extremely cool.
In "The Jesus I Never Knew," Philip Yancey wonders why God chose to send His son during the period of history he did. Why not wait until a time when technology had us all connected? Why not wait until his miracles could be broadcast world-wide and we could all catch any of them we missed by downloading them from miracles.com? Then he makes a profound point. Miracles do not cause faith. Faith causes miracles. It would make no difference how many people saw a particular miracle. Those who are not ready to believe would simply call it video-tampering and move on. Jesus knew that word of mouth and Word of God would be the best method. After all, he told Thomas, "Blessed are you who have seen and believed. Even more blessed are those who have not seen and yet still believe."
I have to quit. My hand is cramping up, just like the good old days. And isn't that funny? The more things change....
posted by Thurman8er @ 9:00 AM
6 Comments:
You are funny and smart and wise.
I'm so glad the plan of God was for me to be your sister.
I find the Thomas quote perplexing. Thomas believes because he sees. Of course, Jesus goes on to say that the blessed ones are those who believe without seeing.
Later we learn that faith is the evidence of things not seen - somewhere in Hebrews. But we know that Thomas came to faith through seeing. Seeing did not destroy his faith. It strengthened it. So, what does that change? Nothing really, except the preacher's statement that seeing destroys faith.
It seems to me that miracles could really wake up faith in those who are searching. They would reveal truth to those who are ready to learn. Through the miracles they would come to a deeper understanding of Jesus and his forgiving sins. They would see the presence of the Kingdom.
Does that make any sense?
Brady, those are great questions and they make a lot of sense. Maybe there are at least three categories: those who would believe no matter what, those who would NOT believe not matter what, and those who need a nudge. Or, in the case of some of Jesus' miracles, a really hard push.
I think the whole discussion goes hand in hand with why Christ appeared to so few people after his resurrection. If I'd seen him before, during, and after, I would have a very hard time refuting his claims.
As with everything, I can only really answer through my own eyes. I can't help but think that if I saw Jesus make a lame man walk, I'd believe in him.
By the way, you shouldn't oughtta eat rice out of your nose. Ew.
I wish I had a tablet pc...
Good post, good comments. Interesting these questions are!
Viewing Jesus from the cross, those responsible for putting him on that cross said "come down and we will believe."
I've always viewed that as unbelief (which it is) and that if Jesus had come down it would not have changed anything - they still would not have believed.
It's more than unbelief, it's arrogance. Flat out arrogance on the part of faithless cowards. Here's what I think they were really saying: "If you are God why where we (humans) able to nail you to that cross?"
They would not have believed then because they did not believe before.
But had Jesus come down from that cross (ignore the severe theological problems with this for one second) would the faith of the women at that cross been any stronger? Would the faith of the trembling disciples been any stronger?
Oh, and at least one of the criminals believed because Jesus stayed on that cross.
Oh, and one more thing . . .
Thurman, What's up with your cheating pitchers?
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