Jesus’ Miracles

Published on: Author: dreis@uoregon.edu

In the section of Mark (1:21-3:6) Jesus performs several miracles including exorcisms, healing a leper as well as paralyzed servant, and healing a man’s withered hand.  I think the overall reason these are linked together in the way they have been is in order to show people coming to faith and bring validity to Jesus’s divinity.  Specifically noting the healing of the leper (1:40-45) the notes section describes this action as Jesus restoring the man to a clean state, this action can also be paralleled to Jesus’s ability to forgive sins and reinforce his status as divine.

It appears to me that the most notable redaction between Matthew and Mark is the addition of the miracle of Jesus calming the stormy seas in Matthew which is not present in Mark.  As described by White this is considered a nature miracle (pg168).  With the addition of this miracle the perception of whether this is magic or miracle is potentially altered.  As noted by the article by Bohak there was a wide variance amongst observers of what was magic, miracle or medicine but the nature miracle goes beyond those distinctions and shows different abilities of Jesus not shown in the parallel passages in Mark.

The L passage in LK5:1-11 seems to raise Jesus’s status when Simon Peter is ashamed of his sins and confesses to Jesus.  This section depicts an unusual response to a miracle but an important one as it signals Simon Peter’s acceptance of faith in Jesus.