Heavenly Heights

For two thousand years, Christians have been marveling at Jesus’ miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. We all love the miracle stories in the Gospels: Jesus feeds thousands of people with just a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish; Jesus gives sight to a blind man; Jesus heals ten lepers; Jesus cures a paralytic. And we may feel ourselves longing for such miracles to be performed in our time and place. Often, we pray for miracles. And that’s OK, the New Testament writers are telling us. They’re telling us to open ourselves up to the reality that God’s Grace can work miracles in our lives. They’re constantly reminding us that nothing is impossible to God — nothing! “How can this be?” said Mary to the angel who told her she would give birth to the Messiah. “Nothing will be impossible with God,” the angel replied.

There is an old parable in which a young man who…