And all were astounded at the greatness of God.
A man has come to Jesus to ask him to heal his son. His son is seized by a spirit, thrown on the ground, and convulses him until he foams from the mouth. The disciples had been unable to heal the boy, so the father sought out Jesus. Jesus rebuked the spirit, and the healed boy was given back to his father. After this, all were astounded at the greatness of God.
If this scene were to play out today, we too would all be astounded. This teacher and healer cured a boy. Amazing! What I wonder, though, is would we be astounded at the greatness of God.
How many times have I been astounded by human acts of greatness? I’m especially awed by the acts of deeply faithful people, whether it’s Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Thit Nhat Han, Hafiz or Herschel or Mother Theresa. I’m astounded at their wisdom, compassion, love, action. And when I see them I don’t frequently feel astounded at the greatness of God, even though each of them would attribute their goodness to a higher power, deflecting attention from themselves.
For me personally, I’m very likely to deflect attention from me and give credit to others. But I fear that has more to do with an unhealthy humility. I do credit God for much of my life’s accomplishments, but I’m not sure I’d say I’m astounded.
But again, when I see others do things that are amazing, rarely do I find myself astounded by God. Perhaps that’s because we’re such a recognition seeking culture. I want to acknowledge the good deeds of others, without redirecting the attention on them towards God. Besides, I’ve known plenty of good-hearted people of faith who want the personal accolades, at least in their weaker moments.
This morning, I’m thinking about why I don’t attribute to God all the goodness I see in others. And why it’s easier to be astounded at the greatness of others than the greatness of God. Today, I will try to remember that God is the source of all goodness, even the astounding acts of my fellow mortals.
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