The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
The Pharisees put the Lord to the test just as the exodus generation had put God to the test in the wilderness. Having witnessed one miracle after another they proved impossible to satisfy, demanding some even greater sign which they could not possibly deny. Maybe if the sign was sufficiently cosmic and overwhelming even they would deign to consider believing in Jesus. They would not consider coming to Jesus through free will and faith but asked him to force them to recognize him if he could.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
"Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
Jesus wanted to bringing healing and freedom, and desired to lead those willing to trust him to ever deeper levels of faith. But the Pharisees were like the rebellious generation of Israelites during their desert pilgrimage. They weren't interested in trusting in God. They wanted what they wanted and would only play along with God with they thought it might help them to attain it. If a sign could have brought them to faith Jesus doubtlessly would have given them one. But giving anything to the Pharisees in their condition would have only led to the further hardening of their hearts. And yet there was a sign that might still avail for some of them, the sign of Jonah, his death and resurrection. He left them for the other shore, but he did not give up on them. He did not give them what they thought they wanted. He didn't even stick around to indulge them with continued controversy. He left them to themselves to reflect. Hopefully later, after he was put to death, they would hear that he had refused to stay in the tomb. Maybe that would finally plant a seed of faith and hope within their hearts.
But if any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly,
and he will be given it.
As we have seen, Jesus himself was tested during his earthly life. So too does God allow us to be tested so that our faith may produce perseverance and be made perfect. Things that may seem to be to our detriment and harm can be seen in the larger perspective of God's divine plan as helping us to grow. But to see them this way we will need wisdom. It is easy to imagine we have this wisdom until the trials themselves actually come. Then the truth is revealed. At such times we tend to waver back and forth between a half-hearted desire to trust God's perspective and any other option we can conceive. But God's wisdom will only sustain us in peace if we go all in for it. So let us not be "of two minds, unstable in all" our ways. Let us instead trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, knowing that he does not allow us to be tested beyond our strength (see First Corinthians 10:13).
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
No comments:
Post a Comment