Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. – Exodus 15:25a

Today's Scripture Reading (October 2, 2021): Exodus 15

In our enlightened society, we are often skeptical when we read about the miracles of the Bible. And deep in our minds, even if we don't admit it, we ask the question about what really happened. When Jesus walked on water, did he really? I mean, isn't it possible that he was walking on a sandbar, or that the disciples were closer to shore than they thought they were, and Jesus was actually standing, amid the fog, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee? Of course, then there is a second question, why was it that Peter began to sink. If Jesus was on the shore, wouldn't that mean that Peter would be on the shore as well? Sometimes it is enough to test our mental prowess.

Or we accept that miracles exist, but then, why didn't Jesus do the miracles, in the same way, every time. I mean, sometimes he spits onto the eyes (not a very hygienic response according to contemporary standards) to restore sight (e.g., Mark 8:23). But other times, he cast out a demon (Matthew 12:22) or did nothing at all, just declares that "your faith has healed you" (Mark 10:52). Why spit one time and then say that "faith is enough" at another time. Our tendency is that if it works this way once, we will likely do it the same way the next time.

But God doesn't seem to work that way. In fact, it is Satan that appears to follow the idea that "if it worked once that way, it likely will again." God uses various ways and methods to get through to us. And often, I admit that I wonder if he works according to our expectations. Jesus could have healed the blind man in Mark 8 by declaring that his faith had healed him, but he knew that the man needed more, and so he spit on his eyes. As for the blind man in Mark 10, the declaration of faith was all that the man needed.

Israel is thirsty, but when they come onto the well at Marah, they find that the water is bitter and unfit for human consumption (which we are told is what "marah" means). I might have been tempted to stir the water with Moses's staff. I mean, the staff had just parted the water at the Red Sea; it must have power; why couldn't it make the bitter water of Marah sweet and ready for consumption by the Israelites. But instead, Moses is shown a piece of wood and told to place the wood into the water.

Those who like to explain the miracles often explain that God knew that the wood of the tree that Moses had found contained a chemical that would allow the minerals that made the water undrinkable to sink to the bottom while the sweet drinkable water would float to the top. And Anglican Theologian, Dr. Alan Cole, argued that "Medieval commentators delighted to see here a reference to the cross, by which the bitterest of life's waters is sweetened." But just like the blind man who just wanted to see, all the Israelites cared about was being able to drink the water. How it was done probably didn't matter, as long as they could have a drink at the end of the day.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Exodus 16