Daily Reflection – 3/4/2020
Sacred Scripture
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.” (Luke 11:29-32)
Reflection
That’s quite a passage from scripture. So, let’s first review the background.
We can assume safely that the Pharisees were encouraging the people to challenge Jesus. They wanted to see more signs that he was powerful and perhaps spectacular. His only sign from them would be neither. It would be a sign of defeat. He would be killed and buried in the earth for three days. He would show no sign to them except the sign of Jonah. His three days in the tomb, like Jonah’s legendary three days in the belly of the whale, has become a symbol for all times. The real sign, of course, was not his being in the tomb for three days but his emerging from it on that first Easter morning.
In truth, don’t we fall into the trap of asking for signs. Don’t we sometimes wish that God would give us a sign from Heaven as a way of giving us some definitive guidance or direction in life? In today’s scripture, Jesus strongly condemns those seeking signs. Why? Why does Jesus speak strongly against seeking signs? In large part because He wants us to seek Him through the gift of faith.
The gift of faith demands that we release ourselves into the belly of darkness before we can know what is essential. It means that the spiritual journey is more like giving up control than taking control. The key is that Jesus’ death and Resurrection is the sign that will be given. His death and resurrection were for you and me. This period of Lent is meant for our reflection on the one sign that counts. He died so that we could live.
Is Jesus enough of a sign for us? Or do we desire something more visible or tangible? Or will we trust that Jesus is present to us now and every moment of our lives? Today and always may we believe that Jesus is the sign given to us by God! And may we trust that Jesus is with us every moment of the day!
Prayer of The Day
“Lord, Your life, death and Resurrection is all I need to know in life. Your perfect sacrifice gives me every answer and pours forth every grace. May I always turn to You as the sign I need every day. Jesus, I trust in You”
Daily Note
Our technological world has conditioned us to “see first before believing”, by producing proofs and answers to many unanswered questions of the past. Unconsciously this has affected our attitude towards the sacred. We tend to demand proofs of God’s existence and religion’s relevance in our fast-changing world before believing. Let’s seek forgiveness from the Lord for if we have demanded signs from Him.
