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| Relation of Faith and Unbelief to the Supernatural Powers of Jesus. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
19. Relation of Faith
and Unbelief to the Supernatural Powers of Jesus.
Following this you may see, “He did not there
many mighty works because of their unbelief.”5287 We are taught by these things that
powers were found in those who believed, since “to every one that
hath shall be given and he shall have abundance,”5288 but among unbelievers not only did the
powers not work, but as Mark wrote, “They could not
work.”5289 For attend to
the words, “He could not there do any mighty works,” for it
is not said, “He would not,” but “He could not;
”as if there came to the power when working co-operation from the
faith of him on whom the power was working, but this co-operation was
hindered in its exercise by unbelief. See, then, that to those
who said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said,
“Because of your little faith.”5290 And to Peter, when he began to sink,
it was said, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou
doubt?”5291 But,
moreover, she who had the issue of blood, who did not ask for the cure,
but only reasoned that if she were to touch the hem of His garment she
would be healed, was healed on the spot. And the Saviour,
acknowledging the method of healing, says, “Who touched Me?
For I perceived that power went forth from Me.”5292 And perhaps, as in the case of
material things there exists in some things a natural attraction
towards some other thing, as in the magnet for iron, and in what is
called naphtha for fire, so there is an attraction in such faith
towards the divine power, according to what is said, “If ye have
faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain,
Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove.”5293 And Matthew and Mark, wishing to set
forth the excellency of the divine power, that it has power even in
unbelief, but not so great power as it has in the faith of those who
are being benefited, seem to me to have said with accuracy, not that He
did not “any” mighty works because of their unbelief, but
that He did not “many” there.5294 And Mark also does not say, that He
could not do any mighty work there, and stop at that point, but added,
“Save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk and healed
them,”5295 the power in Him
thus overcoming the unbelief. Now it seems to me that, as in the
case of material things, tillage is not sufficient in itself for the
gathering in of the fruits, unless the air cooperates to this end, nay,
rather, He who forms the air with whatever quality He wills and makes
it whatever He wills; nor the air apart from tillage, but rather He who
by His providence has enacted that the things which spring up from the
earth could not spring up apart from tillage; for this He has done once
for all in the law, “Let the earth put forth grass sowing seed
after its kind and after its
likeness;”5296 so also neither do
the operations of the powers, apart from the faith of those who are
being healed, exhibit the absolute work of healing, nor faith, however
great it may be, apart from the divine power. And that which is
written about wisdom, you may apply also to faith, and to the virtues
specifically, so as to make a precept of this kind, “If any one
be perfect in wisdom among the sons of men, and the power that comes
from Thee be wanting, he will be reckoned as nothing;”5297 or, “If any one be perfect in
self-control, so far as is possible for the sons of men, and the
control that is from Thee be wanting, he will be reckoned as
nothing;” or, “If any one be perfect in righteousness, and
in the rest of virtues, and the righteousness and the rest of the
virtues that are from Thee be wanting to him, he will be reckoned as
nothing.” Wherefore, “Let not the wise man glory in
his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength,”5298 for that which is fit matter for glorying is
not ours, but is the gift of God; the wisdom is from Him, and the
strength is from Him; and so with the rest.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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