Why did Jesus respond to an enthusiastic crowd so severely? What dangers do miracles have? And what opportunities?
Mission of Divine Mercy
Homily: 2024-08-04 Miracles, Motivation and Signs
What if you had the power to do anything you wanted? Not just like superheroes have this superpower, that superpower, but anything you wanted. And not just like that story about the genie who gives a person three wishes. Not just three wishes, but anything as much as you wanted. What would you do? It's an interesting question, maybe get rid of all my health problems, give myself a great looking body, do like some of the very multi-billionaires do that by a huge yacht. And with a beautiful spouse and invite all these cool celebrities and they sail all around, have a big staff on the yacht, so you don't have to do any work. That would be the first thing, maybe it's to stop working. And so think of that. What would you do if you had that ability? Because the one person, there was one person who had that ability to do anything and everything he wanted. And of course our Lord Jesus, and it's striking that the Gospel talks, shows a lot of miracles. But what's actually striking to me is how come there's not so many more miracles? Like in the whole hidden life of Jesus, there's almost all his life, those thirty years. There's almost no account of him working a miracle. And in the whole Gospels, there's no account of Jesus just working a miracle for his own pleasure, his own convenience for himself, with all the sacrifices that came along with that. And even at the one time it would seem so obvious that he should work a miracle for himself and for his cause on the cross. And people were even taunting him too, and he didn't do it. He could have done it with just desiring it. He could have destroyed all his enemies, and he didn't do it. So that's good. He was concerned about helping other people, not for himself. He wasn't using it for himself. So if you think, "Okay, I'm not going to use this power first of all for myself. I'm going to use it for other people." So now what would you do? Maybe get rid of all hunger. Maybe free all the sick persons, stop people from aging, think of all the different things you'd want to do. Oh, one thing maybe we'd want to do is first of all deal with our enemies. What would you do with your enemies if you had the power to do everything? So all these different ideas, but especially if you're concerned about helping others. Well, Jesus, of course, is concerned about helping others. Why didn't he do those things? Obviously there's a lot of miracles. Mainly what we see him doing in the gospel is casting out demons and healing. So he healed a lot of people, but there were other people he didn't heal. And we know today that he doesn't heal everybody. And he did a few other miracles in the gospel, chose them doing things like calming the storm and walking on water, but that was not to show off. To help his disciples an urgent need. And the one miracle which seems more like for just not so necessary when he changes water into wine, he does it because his mother asked him to. And at the same time it's going to be the sign of a much greater miracle that will work on wine. And we'll come back to that in a little bit. So why didn't Jesus work more miracles? And so I wanted to reflect with you today on miracles and miracles as signs and motivation. Because this gospel that we're looking at right now, it comes right after a great miracle that Jesus worked, the miracle of multiplying the loaves and the fishes. So if I was Jesus' campaign manager, he never invited me to do that, but just say he needed one. So if he had asked me how he should have done it, I have a lot better ideas about how he should have done it. Like say you could say, okay, everybody gather around a big circle and then you go, boof, in a huge mountain of bread pops up in the middle of them. How impressive would that be? Or maybe on the contrary you say, okay, everybody lift your arms up, hold your hands open, and then you begin to make bread to start falling down from heaven right into their hands. Or maybe I have angels, magnificent angels coming down with this bread. Or why just do bread? How about cakes or donuts or something better? Wouldn't that be a lot more impressive? But he didn't listen to me. He did it in a way that was almost as unimpressive as possible. He's the first way he takes the contribution of a boy that doesn't add to how impressive it is. We talked about that last week. And then he has the apostles go around and distribute it. So if people aren't paying attention, maybe they don't even immediately realize they just see these apostles going around handing out bread. So he does it in a very unimpressive way. So that was one of his mistakes. I mean, it seems like a mistake if he wanted to impress people. But even though he tried to be so unimpressive, people still began to gradually begin to realize, do you know what just happened? They said, this is truly the prophet, the one who is to come into the world. And so this would be my response. Great Jesus. You didn't handle that too well. You could have done that a whole lot better. But still, the results are pretty good. People are really enthusiastic. They want to make you king. You've got them in the palms of your hands. So don't blow this. Take advantage of this opportunity. And what does he do? At this, you know, at this great moment, I mean, think again as a campaign man and with Joe, where you're trying to get more enthusiasm for your candidate. And what better candidate could there be than our Lord? Okay, so the enthusiasm is at a peak. So what does he do? The gospel says he runs away. Not a very good response, right? He runs away. Why? Why does he do it like that? Obviously, Jesus is not trying to do what almost all politicians do. Almost all politicians are trying to make people enthusiastic for them, right? To roll up the crowd, to make, you know, promise to people all sorts of things, tell them all great things that I've done so that you'll be enthusiastic about me, that you'll want me to be your king, your leader. And even in a lot of church gatherings, like maybe a big youth rally or a big, you know, some big conference or something like that, that can be that desire to want to get people really enthusiastic. And you know, doing what you can, you know, maybe using music and lights and motivational speakers and so forth to get people to that level of enthusiasm. Because we can't do what Jesus could do, to all the miracles that he could do. But Jesus who does that, but we saw how, how reticent he is to use miracles. And even when he does, when the people get enthusiastic, he rejects it. He rejects that enthusiasm. Why? So one thing this is showing us is, and how careful Jesus is, how reserved he is with his miracles, is that there's a danger in miracles. Just like there's a danger in all God's gifts, there's a danger in miracles. Because miracles, we can react to miracles like a drug. We can become addicted to them and always wanting more to satisfy our curiosity, our desire for excitement, or our desire for pleasure and things that are useful. And sometimes we desire that more than what is truly helpful to unite me to God and to spread his kingdom. And so if he's not pouring out miracles all the time, and sometimes it's, well it's not because he doesn't love us enough, it's because he loves us too much. So in encounters I would say, imagine when you came to Mass, each time you came to Mass. As you walked in, you entered into ecstasy. And not, you know, ecstasy with the drug, but real ecstasy. And you saw the heavens open up. And you heard this majestic singing of angels which transport you in joy. And then you saw our Lord Himself in His glory. And at that moment all your problems, all your worries, all your health problems immediately disappeared. And you were filled with overwhelming joy. How many people would be coming to Mass in that case? A lot of people, right? So why doesn't he do it? He can do it. He's got all the power. He could fill his churches instantly. Why doesn't he do that? Because he doesn't want to buy our friendship. And that's the danger if a person is very rich, the people like me because they really like me. They like me because of my, what I can give them, what I can do for them. So he doesn't, he's not like the devil. He's not trying to buy our friendship to trick us, to manipulate us. Follow us by curiosity or selfishness. So many relationships are built on selfishness. So he needs to purify us, and that's in all of us. In all of us there's sinfulness, there's selfishness, there's pride. And so he needs to purify us of that because he wants to develop a real friendship, a real communion with us. And for that he needs to purify us. And so that's very hard for us. And that's why our spiritual experiences are often very poor. Like I was asking you to imagine that experience every time you came to Mass. But that's not what happens, right? When you come to Mass it's just ordinary you with ordinary us. And sometimes like in this chapel it's really hot and whatever. And so why does he leave it so poor? Why doesn't he make it more exciting or impressive? Is there a defect? Is he not paying attention? Why does he at least let the host taste good? Tastes like something good. Why? Why does he leave it so poor? Because that is part of the formation. Again he's not trying to manipulate us to buy us. That poverty is because he doesn't want us to come for the good things that we're getting out of it. Like a person who comes to visit a rich friend because of all the gifts that the rich friend gives them. But it's like a very rich person who hides his wealth. Because he wants a person to come not for all the gifts out of selfishness but out of true love. And so he makes our experience very poor so that we can come not for what the good feelings that I'm going to get out of it. But as a gift to him, Lord, maybe Mass is hard for me. Maybe Mass is boring. Maybe there's a priest who talks a long time at Mass. And so maybe the chapel is hot. So why am I coming, Lord? I'm coming for you. And so that gives us the opportunity to make an act of true love. And it might not feel good, but that just makes the love more authentic. It's easy to respond when everything feels good, but it takes true love to respond when it's a sacrifice. And so he's developing in us a true sacrifice. The Mass is a formation in true love. And so if it's difficult, like for many saints like Mother Teresa, for her Mass, her spiritual life was for a long, long years. It was just a terrible desert. But that doesn't mean that God doesn't love her, and it doesn't mean that she doesn't love him. She could say, "Well, I must not love God because I don't feel it real intensely." No, love is not measured by feelings. Love is measured by gift and sacrifice. And so the very poverty of our experience at Mass, or in prayer, can actually intensify the gift. I'm coming to give myself to you, and that is what is so effective for uniting us to the Lord. And so the signs, so what does this gospel say? What does Jesus say to the people? So remember what happened. So he worked the miracle, people were enthusiastic, but the gospel says he hid from them. And so the next day a lot of them find them in Kefarna. And so what does Jesus say to him? So here's this big crowd, still very enthusiastic. And so again, here's my advice to Jesus at this point. Jesus, you kind of blew it last night, because you had that great opportunity and you lost it. But still people are here again this morning, so don't blow it this time. You've got to build on this enthusiasm. So what does Jesus do? So how does he develop the relationship with the crowd and build on the enthusiasm? Listen to what he says. He basically gives them a cold shower. He says, "You are looking for me not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled." So he's not building on their enthusiasm. As I said, it's like a cold shower. He's pouring on them. He's not saying, "You're a great crowd. You really understand me. And we're going to do incredible things together. You follow me and all sorts of things are going to happen. You're going to be tired of winning." He doesn't say that. He tells them where he's leading them. He says, "Because why were they following Jesus now? Were they following him because, "Hey, this guy is so powerful. He can give us free food. We won't have to work." Imagine what power he's going to have if he can do that, what power could have over our enemies. Were they following him because they truly believed in him? Were they following him because they truly loved him? Were they following him because they wanted to use him for their benefit? Was it really selfishness that they wouldn't have to work or desire to see more impressive signs for their curiosity? What is Jesus saying? You're not looking for me because you saw signs. He says, "You're following me because you think I'm going to give you free food." But that's not true. That miracle yesterday was a sign. But a sign of what? A sign that you had someone who could give you free food? No. A sign of something much deeper. He says, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you." Too often, we don't realize that the miracles are not just meant to take away our problems, but they're meant as signs. They're not just things to fill up tabloids for curiosity. In fact, John's gospel speaks calls the miracle. It doesn't call the miracles. He uses the word signs. Like when Jesus changed the water into wine, John says, "This was the first..." It doesn't say the first miracle. He says, "This was the first sign that Jesus." So why are signs important? Signs are visible things that teach us about hidden spiritual realities. We had an example in the first reading where it was the manna in a desert. And he said, the Scripture says, "He fed you with manna that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." So the manna was to teach them a spiritual lesson. And here, Jesus, by multiplying the bread, it's to prepare them for a teaching he wants to give that he is the true bread of life. And we get so many examples. The man born blind, it's the frame to teach about light. Think of like the weeping statues of our blessed mothers. So there's so many examples of those. What is that teaching? Is it just some curiosity or is there a message there? And I think the message is pretty obvious. Her sadness, extreme sadness about the situation in our world today. So it's not just some curiosity to be put on TV. It's a sign that's teaching us something. When the God gives us eucharistic miracles, in which, for instance, there's a blood that appears on a host. It's not just some curiosity. Is there a lesson that we're supposed to learn? It's a sign, a sign of what the eucharist really is. So Jesus is inviting us to be attentive to the miracles as signs. Not just always to be one of more miracles, but to see why is he giving those miracles is to teach us something. To lead us into a deeper communion with him. And so on conclusion. So this was focused on miracles, signs and motivation. You are looking for me, Jesus said, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. He said, I was very careful with that miracle, but you needed help. So I gave you the miracle, but you mistook it. You misunderstood it. You're trying to use it for a selfish thing instead of using it to come closer to me. And so at the very mass that we're at, a mass which is often a very poor experience, but that's not because God is not present and that he doesn't love you. I say, well, I don't, you know, the saints talk about feeling transported with joy and ecstasy when they go to mass. And I don't feel that so I must not be a saint, so God doesn't really love me that much. No, I mean, sometimes saints do get those experiences, but a lot of times they don't. As I mentioned, like another example would be St. Tres, St. Tres of the child, Jesus. She said, every day after mass she fell asleep. And she said, the Lord treats me like a very good friend because when we're together, he makes no effort to carry on a conversation. She's listening to me, he doesn't say anything. So the fact that mass can be a very poor experience, I mean, if God gives you grace as a mass of peace and so forth, great, thanks be to God. But if God doesn't give you grace, like that, great, thanks be to God because it might be because he's forming you in two key things. He's forming you in faith that believes beyond what we feel. Not Jesus, I believe you because I feel, but as Jesus says, blessed are those who do not see you, do not feel, and yet believe. He's forming us in true faith and he's forming us in divine love. I don't come for the good feelings I'm going to get from it. Sometimes it's very difficult, but I come to give myself to you who is giving yourself to me. And so he's purifying and forming us. This mass is training, training in faith and trust, training in love, divine love. So as we prepare for this mass, for our offering, our sacrifices in this mass, for holy communion, we ask our blessed mother to be with us, to help us make and our struggle to make a new act of trust, of faith in the Lord, and in our poverty to make an act of gift, of sacrifice to him. And we can in this mass make that act of Thomas because it was Thomas that Jesus says Thomas you believe because you see. Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe. And what was Thomas inspired to say at that moment as he knelt down an adoration, "My Lord and my God." And so with St. Thomas and with our blessed mother let us pray, "My Lord and my God, amen."