21 July 2014 - sign me up

21 July 2014 - sign me up

“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

The good and faithful among the generation have already seen a sign.

This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger” (cf. Luk. 2:12)

Whether or not a sign has value is determined by the heart that sees it.  That is why Simeon says that Jesus is "a sign that will be opposed" (cf. Luk. 2:34).  Jesus does do a number of signs to validate his claims (cf. Joh. 2:11, 4:54, 5:1, 6:5, 6:16, 9:1, and 11:1) and tells us to believe his works even when we can't just trust him and take him at his word (cf. Joh. 10:38).  Yet he refuses to humor the scribes and Pharisees.  He won't entertain them just as he won't entertain Herod who was "hoping to see him perform some sign" (cf Luk. 23:8).  In cases like these signs would only damage hearts which, Jesus knows, will remain closed.  Why add even more guilt to their rejection?

The desire for a sign can be an expression of a desire to know God or it can be an expression of doubt.  In many cases, God has already given us all we need to know him.  In many cases we do know him on some level already.  What are we really asking for, then, when we demand a sign?  If we know him already then it follows that we do recognize that he has the power to do all things. But we ask for a sign anyway, testing him as if to say, can you use your power in this way which I think best?  Can't you let my will come first, at least now and again?

For those of us who ask for signs from doubt Jesus may deny us the superficial signs we seek.  But he does want to establish and increase our faith.  But in these cases, instead of looking around him at his effects in the world, we need to look directly at him.  We need to see the one who is greater than Jonah, the one who slept three days in death in the belly of the earth but who now lives.  We need to see the one who is greater than Solomon, who establishes the new temple and brings us God's wisdom.  We say, "I believe LORD, help my unbelief" (cf. Mar. 9:24). He reminds us that he loves us.  He reminds us of all he does to save us.  By his death and resurrection he brings us out from our own places of slavery and frees us.

O my people, what have I done to you,
or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
from the place of slavery I released you;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.

It is important that we trust in his love for us.  We can't be distracted by demands that Jesus adapt himself to our ideas about how he should work in the world, nor by a desire to be entertained or distracted by signs.  We must let him work in us and in the world as he wants to work.  When we surrender to his lordship we finally see that "signs will accompany those who believe" as well. When Jesus is the focus the signs are free to flow.

We might be worried that they are somehow up to us.  We might be worried that we need to figure out if there enough signs accompanying us, to figure out if we measure up.  And if not, what do we do?  But it isn't that complicated.  What he asks of us is very simple.  Simply, we must put him first in our hearts, seek his kingdom first, and to walk humbly with him.

You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.

He wants to show his saving power to the whole world, as the psalmist says. He wants to reveal himself.  Let us fix our hearts on him by praising him so that we might see that saving power. And seeing it, may we become signs of it to the entire world.

He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”