Sun Myung Moon
October 7, 1965
Tokyo Church, Japan
Unofficial Translation
Question: My question is regarding miracle. I don’t think miracles happen apart from the principle. What about resurrecting a dead person?
Answer: A dead person can come back to life if the spirit self is called back into the physical body. However, there is a certain time limit. The body should not go rotten. If the body no longer exists, it cannot be done. So within 3 days or a short time after death, if the spirit is brought back, the dead person would come back to life. That is easy. But, there is no need for it. Once God called the spirit to Him, it requires atonement that is of a greater value or it makes available Heavenly benefits as a result. Otherwise, it cannot be done.
By dying, one person’s death might have spared 3 or 4 people’s lives. The spiritual value of the person has to be viewed. Without taking responsibility for such detailed points, we may violate Heavenly Laws. So, from this point of view, miracles are not desirable.
Let me share an example. This is a real incident. One old lady lived in Pyongyang. She visited me after she learned about me from the spirit world. Then she joined the Unification church. This old lady performed many miracles. She healed the sick. She helped the cripple walk. The rumor of her works spread all over Pyongyang. Then, a lot of fathers and mothers came to visit her.
Then, 1 year, 2 years and a few more years passed. When reaching a certain spiritual stage, God told her to stop praying to heal people. A few days later, a woman visited her. She was a wealthy mother of one only son. Her son was suffering from a lung disease and at very critical moment. She would repay with all of her heart. She bowed down and begged desperately, "Please pray for my son." The old lady thought although this woman begged, she cannot do it without permission from God. But, the more she heard her desperate plea, her heart was moved. She decided to find a way to heal the child. She started a 100 day prayer vigil. She purified her body and prayed with holy water. There was no reply for the first 90 days. At early morning (at dawn) on the day before the 100th day, she heard a voice from Heaven. "Do you want to save this child?"
"Yes, please Lord, help him." "Are you content with whatever I do to you (for this price)?" "Yes, I am." As soon as she replied, the water in the cup started to boil. "Take this cup of water, without telling anyone, to the boy and have him drink it. Then he will be able to stand and walk."
She followed this command. She gave the boy water around 3AM. She went back home and slept. She was awakened by her first son. He complained, "Mother, I have severe pain in my abdomen." Within 30 minutes after he returned to his room, he died. Then, this old lady realized. "My son died in the place of the young boy." Then, she became upset and lost her mind. But God warned her if she would be content with whatever happened to her. The old lady went out of her home and started walking discouraged. When she reached one intersection, the spirit of her son appeared to her. He said, "Mother, where are you going? Why did you lose your mind? You prayed for the boy and I took his place and passed away. I am now in a holy place in Heaven where no matter how many good deeds had I conducted, I would have never reached."
Why was her son in a holy place? He received his own merit and the merit of the young child. He reached a place that two people’s combined goodness would take. However, the old lady cried every day after his passing. Her son felt unbearable for her crying. He told her, "There is no greater cross than this (her crying over his death). Please do not treat me as your child and treat as such."
She said, "I was wrong." Then her son told her, "Please love the young child more than me. Otherwise, you would block my progress in the spirit world. Please promise to do it."
When a person with a Heavenly Mission prays for a miracle, it would happen. However, a greater sacrifice than the value of the miracle must be paid. Rev. Moon has faced this type of situations often. I want to forgive someone but I cannot disregard the Heavenly Laws. If a person who was forgiven because of my sentiment alone, he or she may be accused. There is a deep principle behind such an event.