Monday 28 July, 2014
Matthew 12:38-45
38 Some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law came to Jesus. They said, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” 39 He answered, “Evil and unfaithful people ask for a miraculous sign! But none will be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 Jonah was in the stomach of a huge fish for three days and three nights. Something like that will happen to the Son of Man. He will spend three days and three nights in the grave. 41 “The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And the Ninevites will prove that those people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned away from their sins when Jonah preached to them. And now one who is more important than Jonah is here. 42 “The Queen of the South will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And she will prove that they are guilty. She came from very far away to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. And now one who is more important than Solomon is here. 43 “What happens when an evil spirit comes out of a man? It goes through dry areas looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives there, it finds the house empty. The house has been swept clean and put in order. 45 Then the evil spirit goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and live there. That man is worse off than before. That is how it will be with the evil people of today.”
The request for a sign revealed the character of that “generation’s” hearts. Jesus had already been providing signs, and his opponents were disputing their validity (12:22–24). All too often we ask for a sign and then ask again not convinced that what has been given is enough. Jesus explains that his generation needs no greater sign that He is from God than his own message. He insists that the only sign the sign-seekers would be given was the sign that God supplied the Ninevites: Jonah’s restoration after three days. The Ninevites repented without recognizing a sign, whereas Jesus’ opponents were too hard-hearted to repent despite the many signs he had been giving them. Jesus was greater than Jonah yet the generation were not prepared to repent.
Where am I asking God for more – is it to convince me of who He is? God is God and I need to get with that program and stop requiring Him to prove Himself!
Father help me to honour You and take You at Your Word – for You are Almighty, All loving, All wisdom…
Written by Ps. Richard Botta
I always thought that Jesus’ reference to Jonah was an allegory for his own impeding death-burial-resurrection!
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At the risk of being branded as having a lack of faith I have wrestled with the question of ‘why does God stay hidden?’.
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Between the time of Jesus and now the entire world has benefited from the a tremendous advancement in our understanding of the universe through science and technology. Science cannot disprove the existence of God however unlike the statement made in Romans 1:20 I thought science should have revealed far more evidence of God than it has.
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It seems to me that God has obfuscated himself and I cannot understand why!! It’s is not an accusation, it is a question!
David,
Love it!!
Interestingly I have always had the view that God has done enough – especially for the seeker. Those not seeking don’t care to know those seeking He has promised will find Him.
I think science has greatly reminded us of design in the Universe and humanity etc. and thus alluded to God – but the scientist’s faith language denies His reality and existence so we don’t often see God from their perspective.
Love your thoughts,
Blessings,