Airplane lands hard, flips, burns: people live: a miracle

It was just a few days ago, this past December 28, 2011 exactly, when a Russian-made Tupolev 134 jet-liner made a rough landing at an airfield outside of Osh, Kyrgyzatan, that ended in a horrible disaster. The passenger jet-liner was packed with 95 passengers and 6 crew members when it landed too hard, flipped over and caught fire, after breaking a wing. It was a miracle that only 31 of those on board, out of 101 people, were injured, with 17 being hospitalized. Noteworthy, the TU-134, twin engine jet-liner, has remained in service, even in this post-Soviet era.

It is my belief that this situation, and many others like it that occur in many places, globally, even though we do not hear about them all, is a sign of God's actions in the lives of faithful men and women. I am not able to explain to you how God works, or how the "mind" of God functions. The two wonderful, world-class seminaries where I was able to study for the ministry, did not help me to understand the how, or why God works miracles. Jesus used to like to say, "he or she who has eyes to see, let him or her see," and "he or she who has ears to hear, let him or her hear." If seeing and hearing is believing, then we do have a lot to see and a lot to hear, so what excuse do we have for not believing in miracles.

Please bear with me as I share with you the following story, concerning Jesus' work, as he encountered people along his way. This story is taken from the gospel of Saint Matthew, the 19th chapter, the 16th through the 26th verse:

And, behold (behold meaning "to look upon"),

one who came and said unto him, saying,

Good Master,

what good thing must I do, that I may have eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him,

Why do you call me good?

there is none good but one,

that is, God:

but if you would like to enter into Life,

keep the commandments.

Then the young man uttered unto Jesus,

Which commandments?

Whereupon, Jesus replied,

Thou shall not murder,

Thou shall not commit adultery,

Thou shall not steal,

Thou shall not bear false witness,

Honor thy father and thy mother, and,

Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.

Upon hearing Jesus say this,

the young man said to Jesus,

I have kept these commandments from the time of my youth,

what more do I lack?

Hearing this, Jesus said to him,

If you would be perfect,

go and sell all that you have,

and give give to the poor,

and you will have treasures in heaven,

and come and follow me.

Upon hearing this,

the young man went away in sorrow,

for we was very rich and had great possessions.

Then Jesus said to his disciples,

Verily,

I say unto you,

That a rich may will hardly enter into

the kingdom of heaven.

And again

I say unto you,

It is easier for a camel to through

the eye of a needle,

than for a rich man to enter

into the kingdom of God.

There are those who may ask, "What does all of this have to do with miracles?" And there are those of you who can see, immediately, what all this has to do with miracles.

The rich young man didn't have the faith, to believe, what Jesus was saying to him.

I am going to ask you "to bear with me" as I point out the same same story that I gave to you above, only this time, in a discourse that is written in the Gospel, according to Saint Mark, that "parallels" the Gospel as given to us by Saint Matthew above. In this pericope, in St. Mark, the 10th chapter, the 17th through the 25th verse, we read:

And when Jesus had gone forth into the way,

there came one running,

and kneeling before him,

and asking him,

Good Master, what shall I do

that I may inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him,

Why do you call me good?

there is none good

but one,

that is, God.

You know know the commandments,

Jesus said,

Do not commit adultery,

Do not kill,

Do not steal,

Do not bear false witness,

Defraud not,

Honor your father and your mother.

And the young man answered Jesus,

saying to him,

I have observed all these things from the time of my youth.

Then Jesus beheld him,

and loved him,

and said unto him,

There is one thing that you lack,

go thy way,

sell whatsoever you have,

and give to the poor,

and you shall have treasure in heaven,

and come,

take up the cross,

and follow me.

The rich young man,

upon hearing this saying of Jesus,

was saddened, and went away grieved,

for he had great possessions.

Allow me to give you a second pericope from the Gospel of St. Mark, to help us to understand better, Jesus' mind and thinking.

It reads (from Mk., the 10th Chapter, the 23th to the 27th verse),

And Jesus looked around and about,

and said to his disciples,

How hardly

shall they that have riches enter into

the kingdom of God!

It is easier

for a camel

to go through the eye of a needle,

than for a rich man

to enter into

the kingdom of God!

And the disciples were astonished

out of measure,

saying among themselves,

Who then can be saved?

And Jesus looked upon them and said,

With men (and women)

it is impossible,

but now with God,

for with God

all things

are possible.

Miracles happen. They have happened in the pass, they still happen, today, and they will happen in the future. I don't know everything, so I can explain everything. But I can say this, with a good measure of certainty. Miracles happen.

Jesus tell us that we have to have faith and we have to believe. What is faith? And what is belief? I will have to address these concepts in future Hubs. This Hub is 1000 words, already, and I do not like to give anyone too much to read at one setting. "As you go, Peace."