One Less Sign
I cannot take credit for this note as I was taught it by my father. Not that I, nor He can truly take credit for any truth we may happen to blindly stumble upon but I thought that I'd at least give credit where credit is due.
This passage seems to have been exasperating for our Lord. The teachers of the law coming and accosting Christ asking Him for a sign to validate His ministry. A sign?! It may have been that they were sleeping or ignoring the first seven chapters but in all of history until this point no man had ever been accompanied by so many signs and wonders! How could they ask for a sign? Were they blind? The answer of course is yes!
When I was younger my church held an event where many testimonies were given and the theme of the testimonies was the miracle of God. Each one was to testify about miracles in their life. My father chose a different route. He chose to speak about what life would be like with one less miracle. We are surrounded by the impossibly miraculous. I've studied long and delved deep into the sciences of our world and come away with one thought. This all shouldn't be. Creation is so impossibly glorious and miraculous. The natural order is chaos and decay. Yet here we are advancing civilization. Even the simplest bread we eat and the air we breathe are amazingly complex and wonderful. One less miracle and there would be no life.
So what does this passage say about the Pharisees and about us. Jesus is not saying that absolutely no sign will be given to this generation for He had already multiplied signs and wonders on the earth. He would not give the sign they wanted. He will not be ruled by our lack of faith. He will not be a circus act for us or a genie in a lamp to perform tricks and wonders. He is Lord of all and we are tiny man. All that we need to believe has been given to us and more.
So what is it that prevents us from seeing this? I think the answer is many fold and can be seen throughout the Scriptures. Our pride, our desire for control, our selfishness, our fear, our anxieties, and other sins all compete for dominance in our lives. They will not cede the throne of our hearts easily. Yet thanks be to God who is mighty and conquering King! May He wondrously , and miraculously conquer and rule our hearts and minds!
Created over 1 year ago
