Page 14 - GALIET MIRACLES IN THE WATERLESS REGIONS: Jesus IV++

and the natural order of things, for he holds omnipotent power to alter reality. Though Jesus, in contrast to Anzu,6 does not steal this power, for the Holy Spirit descends upon him, he endangers the Pharisees’ and Sadducees’ self-serving, established superstructure, just as Anzu threatened Ellil’s domain and power. Likewise, by heightening the Sanhedrin’s fears that their religious practices and observances might be superceded,7 Jesus, like Anzu, earns the repudiation of authorities and must die (Mt 26:57,75; Mt 12:9,14). Christian miracles and faith, as a result, when placed under the mighty hand of God, assure faithful believers that “nothing will be impossible” (Mt 17:20), for faith, even as small as the size of a mustard seed, will surely “move mountains” (Lk 17:6).
Undoubtedly, the possibilities that faith affords are infinite. Some of the most engaging miracles of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels include the healings of the faithful Gerasene demoniac, the hemorrhaging woman and the resuscitations of Lazarus (Jn 11,1,57) and Jairus’ daughter. Each one of them also impresses on us that Jesus is a divine being whose miraculous power so astonishes the Gerasenes that they beg him to leave their community (Mt 8.28,34; Lk 8:26,39; Mk 5:21,43), that the mere touch of his cloak can cure (Mt 9:18, Mk 5:21-43, Lk 8.40-56) and that his utterance of Semitic words rises the dead (Mk:5,41). Moreover, Jesus is also shown as stilling a tempest (Mk 4:35,41), feeding a multitude of five
6 Dalley, Stephanie. Myths from Mesopotamia. Anzu and Ninurta. London: Oxford University Press, 2000. 211
7 Already the crowds had celebrated Passover with Jesus at the mountain rather than at the Jerusalem Temple (Mt 14:13,21; Mk 6:34,44; 8:1,9; Lk 9.1-17).
• 14 •