Demand for a sign

Monday,
February 18, 2019
6th Week in
Ordinary Time
1st Reading:
Gen 4:1-15, 25
Gospel: Mark 8:11-13
The Pharisees came and started to argue with Jesus. Hoping to embarrass him, they asked for some heavenly sign. Then his spirit was moved. He gave a deep sigh and said, “Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this people.” Then he left them, got into the boat again and went to the other side of the lake.
DAILY GOSPEL IN THE ASSIMILATED LIFE EXPERIENCE
D@iGITAL EXPERIENCE
The Gospel of Mark tells us that the Jews were asking Jesus for a sign. We find a parallel to this episode in the Gospel of John where Jesus was delivering a discourse on the Bread of Life, at which the Jews challenged him to substantiate his teaching by performing a sign. They asked, “What sign can you do that we may see and believe in you?” (John 6:30). Later at Calvary, Jewish authorities asked him to come down from the cross as the sign for them to believe. Jesus performed none of the signs they demanded.
For God, the desert anomalies committed by the Chosen people was the last straw. Recall Moses’ conversation with God as recorded in the Book of Numbers. God expressed his disappointment over the behavior of the Jews who were stranded in the desert while on their way to the Promised Land. God said to Moses: “How long will this people spurn me: How long will they refuse to believe in me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?” (Numbers 14:11).
God performs extraordinary signs no more! In the Gospel of Luke the rich man who landed in hell asked God to send someone from the dead as a sign and warning to his relatives on earth. But God did not act on his request. God said that enough prophets were already sent as signs to the present generation. “If they did not believe in the prophets, neither will they believe even if one was to rise from the dead” (Luke 16:25ff.)
“To those who believe no explanation is needed; to those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.” Something similar could be said about signs. To those who believe, no sign is needed; to those who do not believe, no sign is powerful enough to move them to faith. On this basis we cannot expect God to give in to human demands for signs.
Our techy world is pushing God little by little to the domain of obsolescence. Many are getting used to a godless existence. Then like a rabbit that a magician pulls from nowhere when needed, they pull God out from that domain of uselessness and demand performance of spectacular signs. He won’t perform any. What for? It is not right to throw precious pearls to pigs! – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.

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