1 April 2019 - demonstrations of Spirit and power

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.

We think perhaps Jesus will refuse the request of the royal official. We think he is criticizing him just as he did the scribes and Pharisees when they asked for a sign. To those groups, he replied, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah" (see Matthew 12:39). But this is different.

Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live."

Some signs are indeed part of the plan.

Now this was the second sign Jesus did
when he came to Galilee from Judea.

Jesus sensed something in the royal official that was not in the scribes and Pharisees. There was a sincerity in him and a genuine compassion. There was an actual willingness to receive the sign and believe as a consequence.

They told him,
"The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon."
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
"Your son will live,"
and he and his whole household came to believe.

He does not withhold the sign from Thomas when he doubts. To those in need he will grant signs and wonders. This is a good reminder for us who already believe. We sometimes feel left out and demand signs that we clearly don't need because we already have faith. We seek them to assuage our feelings of dissonance that the gap between this world and the Kingdom can't help but engender. And so, sometimes, these are not given. Then, when we encounter people who do need signs we are unwilling to believe for signs for them, because we ourselves we once disappointed. God does not wish to be so limited by us. Rather, he wants to work through us. If we let him our faith will be built up as well. The distance between earth and Kingdom will be reduced.

and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (see First Corinthians 2:4)

Now we can all be led together to something which is as yet only visible to the eyes of faith.

Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight;
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and exult in my people.

Let us praise the LORD for the wonders he has done. He has changed our mourning into dancing. But that is only the beginning.