This coming Sunday is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. There is a common thread in Christian thinking that inextricably links the “degree” of faith with how/if prayers are answered or miracles delivered. In the Markan gospel the problem is not a matter of whether they have enough faith but that they have no faith.

Elsewhere in Mark, a person’s faith is not necessarily tied to the success of a miracle. Sometimes faith is not mentioned at all. Sometimes the faith of the restored one’s friends or family is noted, or, as in Mark 9:24. Sometimes it’s a matter of “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Stoffregen compiled this interesting list of 15 healing miracles (including exorcisms) in Mark and 5 nature miracles – and their relationship to faith.

• 1:21-28 healing in the synagogue — faith not mentioned
• 1:29-31 healing Peter’s mother-in-law — faith not mentioned
• 1:32-34 healing all the sick — faith not mentioned
• 1:40-45 healing a leper — faith not mentioned
• 2:1-12 healing a paralytic — Jesus sees(!) the faith of the four friends
• 3:1-6 healing a withered hand — faith not mentioned
• 4:35-41 calming the storm — disciples’ lack of faith mentioned
• 5:1-20 healing the Gerasene demoniac — faith not mentioned
• 5:21-24a, 35-43 healing Jairus’ daughter — Jairus is told to believe
• 5:24b-34 healing the bleeding woman — “Your faith has made you well”
• 6:5-6 healing a few in Nazareth — Jesus is amazed at their unbelief
• 6:30-44 feeding the 5000 — a hint of the disciples’ lack of faith
• 6:45-52 walking on water — disciples’ hard hearts mentioned
• 6:53-56 healing the sick in Gennesaret — faith not mentioned
• 7:24-30 healing the Syro-Phoenician’s daughter — faith not mentioned, but perhaps illustrated by her reply to Jesus
• 7:31-37 healing a deaf-mute — faith not mentioned
• 8:1-10 feeding the 4000 — a hint at the disciples’ lack of faith
• 8:22-26 healing a blind man — faith not mentioned
• 9:14-29 healing the epileptic — Jesus says: “All things can be done for the one who believes.” The father expresses partial belief: “I believe, help my unbelief”
• 10:46-52 healing blind Bartimaeus — “Your faith has made you well”
• 11:12-14, 20-24 cursing the fig tree — Jesus tells the disciples after the miracle: “If you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Faith is not mentioned in most of the miracles in Mark.

Domenico Ghirlandaio | Calling the Apostles | 1481 | Sistine Chapel, Vatican | PD-US