There is a time-honored story about a skeptic who was continually harassing the local pastor. His one delight in life seemed to be making the pastor appear inadequate intellectually. The pastor bore these challenges to his theology and faith with great restraint.

One day the skeptic was heckling the pastor about his views on miracles. "Give me one concrete example of a miracle," the skeptic taunted. "One concrete example." Whereupon the pastor hauled off and kicked the skeptic furiously on the shin.

The skeptic couldn't believe it!

The pastor asked, "Did you feel that?"

"Yes," the man said as he nursed his sore leg.

"If you had not," said the pastor, "it would have been a miracle!"

Jesus and his mother were attending a wedding feast in Cana when the wine ran out. Mary turned to her s…