The Pharisees and
Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from
heaven. He replied... “A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a
miraculous sign, but none will be given except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then
left them and went away. Matthew 16:1-4
Sign-seeking is a common
feature of religious people. Some years ago there were excited reports of Hindu
idols drinking milk left out for them. Every so often we hear of statues of
Mary shedding tears. I remember once talking to a woman who seemed awestruck by
the fact that someone she knew “spoke in holy tongues”.
Yes, wouldn’t it be
wonderful to have proof of what we
believe! And very natural too.
But - sorry - it is folly.
And sinful folly at that. Jesus makes this very clear in these few verses.
By his preaching and miracles
he has become a serious threat to the religious authorities. The Pharisees and
Sadducees were the two main parties among the Jews of his day; normally at
loggerheads with each other, they now join forces to test him once and for all.
They want to discredit him, to expose him as a charlatan.
But he refuses to play ball.
“Signs?” he says - “No, there won’t be any signs. If that’s really what you
want, go to your Bibles and read the story of Jonah.” He “then left them and
went away.” He won’t waste time with them.
It may seem strange that,
having done all sorts of miraculous healings - deeds which John’s Gospel
sometimes actually refers to as “signs” - he should here speak so dismissively
of such things. But the point is this: while he delighted to do great things as
a sign of God’s love, mercy and power, he refused to be seen as some kind of
spiritual conjuror, a popular purveyor of party-tricks done to order.
This episode goes to the
heart of several things we need to grasp about Jesus.
First, he despised
the idea of being a celebrity.
As you read the Gospels you
find that on various occasions he deliberately chose to fade out of the
limelight rather than risk being turned into an idol. Certainly, he sometimes created
a stir by saying what he said and doing what he did, so much so that his
disciples urged him to build a big following by riding the crest of the wave -
“Come on, everyone’s looking for you!” (Mark 1:37). But he said no. He had
already confronted that particular temptation in the desert before embarking on
his public ministry (see Matthew 4:4-7).
Fame, glitz, glamour,
adulation - these are heady drugs, and they seduce many people. But the way of
Jesus is the way of lowliness and humility, of service and sacrifice.
The lesson for us is clear: Be
happy to be nothing, for only then can God make you something.
Second, the main thing
he demanded of his followers was faith.
Again, as you read the
Gospel stories you see how thrilled he was when he found faith in unexpected
places. Think of the Roman centurion (Matthew 8:5-13) or the woman with the
flow of blood (Matthew 9:18-26); as you read these stories you can almost see
him smiling with delight.
But then, of course, you see
also how sad he was when he didn’t find
faith where he felt he might expect it. Think of the disciples in the storm
(Mark 4:35-41) or of followers who were prone to anxiety (Matthew 6:30). To ask
for a sign is to ask, in effect, for proof, and that simply isn’t on offer. Paul
sums it up perfectly: “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
A question: I wonder
if I ever put a big smile on Jesus’ face because of my faith?
Third, he pointed forward
to the resurrection.
This is the point of his
reference to Jonah. He has in fact already opened up the meaning in Matthew
12:38-42: there he likens his coming experience of death, burial and
resurrection to the miraculous experience of Jonah and the great fish.
And so we are reminded that
Christianity stands or falls on the truth of the bodily resurrection of Jesus
on that wonderful first Easter day.
This isn’t to deny or
question the reality of other remarkable things - healings, tongues, you name
it. Not at all. But it is to place the emphasis exactly where it belongs: Jesus
died, Jesus rose again, Jesus is Lord! It takes faith to make that declaration,
and it’s a faith that will not be disappointed.
It’s often said that “seeing
is believing”. But that just isn’t true - look at Matthew 28:17 for an amazing
demonstration of that fact.
No, we don’t believe because
we have seen; we see because we have believed.
Lord Jesus, please
deepen, sharpen and enlarge my faith so that my eyes are opened and I see
things hidden from ordinary sight. Amen.
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