Did you know that the word “immediately” occurs in the Bible 113 times?

For example, following Jesus’ delivery of The Sermon on the Mount, a leper approached him. Begging Jesus to cure him of his leprosy, “… Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will, be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:1-4).

Another time, Jesus sent his disciples across the Sea of Galilee ahead of him. That night a great storm arose and the disciples feared for their lives. Yet, through the darkness, they saw Jesus, walking on the water toward them. Jesus cried out assuring them that it was actually him and not a ghost. Then “…they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.” (John 6:16-21).

And Acts 16:16-26 tells of Paul and Silas who were beaten, bound in chains, and imprisoned. But “…at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God … And suddenly there was a great earthquake … and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed.”

Were these events miracles? They certainly exceed our knowledge of physical laws. How did they happen? Can they occur again, or are they limited to a by-gone era? Perhaps the answer begins to unfold with the definition of “miracle” as found in a book that helps us to understand the Bible. In “Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures,” Mary Baker Eddy writes: “Miracle. That which is divinely natural, but must be learned humanly.” In other words, events called “miracles” are normal and natural to divine providence.

A quick Google search reveals not only curiosity on the subject, but many books on modern day miracles. However, they often infer random heavenly interventions or supernatural experiences. Is it possible, instead, that a divine law exists which can dependably upend any perilous circumstance in our lives?

Yes! Jesus was anointed by God to teach God’s law to mankind. He showed us that the kingdom of heaven, harmony, is here now (Luke 17:20-21).  Furthermore, he expected us to, “…do the same works I have done, and even greater works…” (John 14:12). Such an expectation infers the existence of a spiritual principle that we can count on.

Hard to believe? Perhaps. But consider this: In the 16th century the concept of a man-made machine flying through the sky seemed impossible. Yet, through understanding the laws of aerodynamics, we now have airplanes. The law existed all the time; we just needed to learn it and apply it. The same is true of spiritual law.

Jesus had a spiritual view of life rather than a human view. He only saw the perfect man of God’s creating, never a flawed man. This clarity of thought brought about immediate healings of both disease and danger.

Imagine, for a minute, that we are all wearing glasses with purple lenses. We see purple trees, purple houses, and purple people. Now remove those glasses and we see the world full of beautiful colors. Likewise, Jesus taught us how to remove a mortal view of life and see the real, spiritual world the way God created it. As we learn to do this, we too experience reversals of desperate human conditions which, though many call “miracles,” are actually natural states in accord with divine law.

Paul understood this concept, too. He preached, “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2).

Such renewing of thought renews lives and advances salvation. This regeneration is just as available today as it was in Jesus’ day. Dozens of verified accounts of transformed lives are printed weekly in the Christian Science Sentinel. These blessings are accomplished by everyday people through their study of the Bible. To hear some of their stories, visit our website at ChristianScienceAllentown.com.

This is a contributed opinion column. Karen Morton is a Sunday School teacher at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Allentown. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication.

https://www.mcall.com/2025/10/11/faith-values-are-miracles-possible-in-our-modern-age/