It is a natural human desire to see signs, signs of God’s presence, signs of God’s power, of God’s goodness, of God’s love. Some of the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel respond to that human desire: “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” People today also want to see signs. We are attracted to reports of the apparitions of Mary or some other miraculous or seemly miraculous event. The desire for signs is a good thing. Sometimes a refusal to ask for a sign can even be an example of false piety. For example, King Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign so that he does not have to follow the way of the Lord:
“Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as Sheol, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then he said: Listen, house of David! Is it not enough that you weary human beings? Must you also weary my God?” (Isaiah 7:10-13).
Jesus does not oppose giving the Pharisees or us a sign. The real question is how many signs God needs to give before we put our faith and trust in God. Jesus has already performed many healings and exorcisms. He has taught with great authority. What other signs can he give? He promises one more sign, the sign of Jonah: “Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection is the sign of God’s power, goodness, and love as Paul writes in his letter to the Romans:
“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him…For I am convinced that neither death, nor life nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.?” (Romans 8:31, 38-39).
So today let us recognize the many and varied signs of God’s presence in our world and in our daily life. Let us recognize the presence of God and pray:
“You are indeed Holy and to be glorified, O God, who love the human race and who always walk with us on the journey of life. Blessed indeed is your Son, present in our midst when we are gathered by his love…” (Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs IV).
Image: “Jonah and the Whale” by Lawrence OP is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.