Matthew 16:1-4
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
1 The
Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them
a sign from heaven.
2 He
replied, “When
evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and
in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You
know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the
signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous
sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left
them and went away.
How
many of us have asked Jesus for a sign?
I know I have. Even today as I
continue to wonder what He has in store for me, I ask for a sign, so that I
will know His will for me. I think what
makes this different from the pharisees and sadducees is the fact that they
were specifically “testing” Jesus. They
weren’t trying to figure out how they could serve Him better, they were trying
to decide if they should acknowledge Him at all. I have to think of the story I have heard
about the philosophy professor whose main goal in his classes was to prove that
there was not a God. You can read about
in at the following link, http://www.snopes.com/religion/chalk.asp. The pharisees and the sadducees both were
trying to test Jesus power. You would
have thought they could have seen His power through the many miracles He
performed but their eyes were blinded.
I
found it rather interesting when Jesus said the only sign they would get was
the sign of Jonah. As I thought about
this three different signs came to my mind.
1. Jonah ran from God but God knew where he was
and caused a great storm. Have you ever
had a great storm appear when you were running from God?
2. Jonah was in the belly of the big
fish for 3 days. Jesus was in the tomb
for 3 days.
3. People, including Jonah, repented
and lives were changed.
In Jonah’s
prayer to the Lord in Jonah 2:8 he prayed, 8 “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah%202:8&version=NIV1984)
Jonah
repented and recognized who his God was.
Jonah didn’t just say he was sorry but he did what he was called to
do. He didn’t much like what he had to
do but he shared the grace of God with those he didn’t think deserved it and
they repented. When the people of
Ninevah repented God’s graciousness was on them as well. When Jonah pouted, calamity struck again with
the withering of the vine.
Recently
I read a quote from a dear friend and pastor Chris Robeson, “When we talk more about forgiveness than
repentance, and happiness more than brokenness & holiness we've cheapened
the gospel.” I strongly agree
with this statement. When Jonah focused on
the forgiveness he failed to see and appreciate the repentant hearts of the
people of Ninevah. When we focus more on
what God can do for us and not so much on what we should be doing for God, we
cheapen God, the One and Only One who deserves the honor and glory from all of
us. Without Him we wouldn’t even be here
today!
As you
seek Him may you find Him through repentance and an accepting heart.
Seeking
Him with all my heart,
Sheila
I hear people everyday say things like; how could God let this happen, why won't He do this for me, God will provide for me, etc.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your posts and today the reminder about doing for Him.
Thanks, Leslie M.