FAITH AND SIGNS

July 19, Monday

SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

 

As soon as their faith makes demands on them, as soon as they don’t see clear, the Hebrews complain and would choose slavery in Egypt rather than a difficult march through the desert to freedom. They don’t trust yet in God. They want signs of God’s might.

In the Gospel, the scribes and the Pharisees demand signs. The Hebrews had failed to see the sign of God in the fact that he had quietly led them to freedom and made them into a people. The scribes fail to recognize God in the message and person of Jesus, in his service, loyalty, and love. God is not a God of publicity. His presence is discreet. The sign of Jonas was that the Ninevites believed his preaching; the three days in the belly of the fish as a reference to the three days of Jesus in the tomb may be a later addition.

 

First Reading: Exodus 14:5-18

When the king of Egypt was told that the people were gone, he and his servants changed their minds. They said, “What have we done, letting Israel, our slave labour, go free?” So he had his chariots harnessed up and got his army together. He took six hundred of his best chariots, with the rest of the Egyptian chariots and their drivers coming along.

God made Pharaoh king of Egypt stubborn, determined to chase the Israelites as they walked out on him without even looking back. The Egyptians gave chase and caught up with them where they had made camp by the sea—all Pharaoh’s horse-drawn chariots and their riders, all his foot soldiers there at Pharaoh opposite Baal Zephon.

^10-12 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them—Egyptians! Coming at them!

They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God. They told Moses, “Weren’t the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn’t we tell you this would happen? Didn’t we tell you, ‘Leave us alone here in Egypt—we’re better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.’”

Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you’re never going to see them again.

 God will fight the battle for you.
    And you? You keep your mouths shut!”

God said to Moses: “Why cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites. Order them to get moving. Hold your staff high and stretch your hand out over the sea: Split the sea! The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground.

 “Meanwhile I’ll make sure the Egyptians keep up their stubborn chase—I’ll use Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots and horsemen, to put my Glory on display so that the Egyptians will realize that I am God.”

 

Gospel: Matthew 12:38-42

Jonah-Evidence

Later a few religion scholars and Pharisees got on him. “Teacher, we want to see your credentials. Give us some hard evidence that God is in this. How about a miracle?”

Jesus said, “You’re looking for proof, but you’re looking for the wrong kind. All you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. The only proof you’re going to get is what looks like the absence of proof: Jonah-evidence. Like Jonah, three days and nights in the fish’s belly, the Son of Man will be gone three days and nights in a deep grave.

 “On Judgment Day, the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation, because when Jonah preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about ‘proofs.’ On Judgment Day, the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that will condemn this generation, because she traveled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon. Wisdom far greater than Solomon’s is right in front of you, and you quibble over ‘evidence.’

 

Prayer

Lord our God,
in times of anguish and desolation,
we sometimes call for signs and miracles
that assure us of your presence.
Forgive us our presumption
and give us a faith strong enough
to recognize you at work in nature,
in the ordinary events of life
and in the goodness and service of people.
We entrust ourselves to you
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:
God’s miracles all around
Evangelist Matthew presents the pharisees and the scribes as the adversaries of Jesus. Most of the arguments against the teachings and signs of Jesus come from these religious leaders. Here they are at it again, but with a seemingly genuine request – for a sign from heaven.
Matthew had already reported a number of signs and miracles of Jesus. The ordinary people have been full of praise and amazement at what Jesus is doing and they acclaim that “God has visited his people”. But the religious leaders, blinded by their own prejudice, accused Jesus of using the powers of Satan for his teachings, exorcisms and healings. Now with this request from the leaders, Matthew wants to expose the hypocrisy of the pharisees and the scribes and they must have been demanding Jesus to present his credentials.
Jesus retorts by calling them “evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign”. Signs and wonders were happening all around them, but they pretended blindness. So the Lord calls them “evil and unfaithful generation.” No matter what he does or says, they would not believe.
Remember the parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus, one in hell and the other on the bosom of Father Abraham? Father Abraham tells the rich man in hell: “If they [his brothers and sisters] do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Same is the answer for the detractors of Jesus. There is no point in going into an argument with those who do not believe in God. God cannot be proved by arguments, but only by faith.
Jesus offers them the “sign of Jonah,” – which was well understood by the listeners of Matthew. Because they knew both the story of Jonah as well as the faith of the Christians that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. But again, the Jews in Antioch who refused to believe in Jesus, would not believe in this resurrection story either. Matthew is challenging them – with the greatest sign from Heaven for the Messiah – the sign of the Resurrection.
The leaders had no explanations or answers for the teachings and mighty works of Jesus, but they refuse to believe, because they regard themselves as people of knowledge and learning.
Complacency and intellectual pride are probably the biggest temptations that confront us today. Sometimes, we are stiff-necked and stubborn like the scribes and pharisees in the Gospel today. We refuse to give up our set patterns of behaviour and consider everyone else is wrong. The Gospel invites us to open wide our eyes – and witness the beauty of God’s miracles all around us.

 

Video available on Youtube: God’s miracles all around