A Sign From Heaven
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Matthew 16:1-4
1. And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2. He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, `It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.' 3. And in the morning, `It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed.
Is this how our faith works? We “bargain” with God. We tell Him we’ll believe in Him, if . . . Or we look around us and see pain and suffering, poverty and crime, sin and evil. We hear about it on the evening news; we read it in the paper; we experience it in the grocery store and in the line at the bank. We look around us and all we see is what mankind has wrought. We can’t see past ourselves to see the signs from heaven!
This passage about the weather makes me chuckle as I think about the forecast for the Richmond area last Sunday night. The prediction was for a cold, clear night—perfect for the Living Nativity we conduct at our church every year at Christmas time—and Sunday is usually the “big” night in terms of number of visitors and money donated for the designated charity that year. Our family participated on Saturday night and on Sunday we drove through and then drove around the area to see all the Christmas decorations and “tacky light” houses—quite a big deal here in our area!
And guess what happened about 10 minutes after we drove through the Living Nativity? It started to rain. Then sleet began to hit the windshield. By the time we viewed two or three of the “usual” displays, a torrential snow storm had descended upon Richmond, VA! I mean, the wind was beating down, and the snow was so thick that we literally could see no more than 5 or 10 feet in front of us! And there was lightning! It was at the same time beautiful, funny, and a little frightening! Our friends at the outdoor Living Nativity said they also heard thunder during the storm. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time.
All this brings to mind our demanding signs from God of His existence. He defies the weather forecasters! He sends down snow and thunder and lightning on a clear and crisp evening in mid-December! He rules the weather. He rules the earth. And he is bigger than the war in Iraq, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Scott Peterson and the latest criminal prowling the streets of my neighborhood. He must look down at us and shake his head. He sent the Messiah! His Son lived and died and rose again. For you and for me. And still we ask for a sign!
The sign of Jonah. The sign of the Messiah. Three days buried, then a new existence. What other sign could we possibly need? What other sign would we dare demand? As we near Christmas day, celebration of the birth of the greatest sign of all history, I can’t help but feel both sad and hopeful. Sad that the world still doesn’t see the sign God gave us 2000 years ago. Sad that we ask for one more sign. Sad that the Christ is not all we need to live our lives. And yet, I am hopeful that as the new year dawns, we can begin anew to live out the promise of salvation. That we can find a way to present peace and harmony to a war-torn Middle East. That we can figure out a way to bring healing and comfort to the African continent. That we can feed the hungry and house the homeless; adopt the abandoned, abused children in this country, and find a cure for cancer.
All of these seem like great big, unconquerable obstacles! But Jesus told us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He can use us to accomplish all of this and more. We only need to ask—and look to the one true, real, perfect sign God sent to earth to show us how.
I hope today you’ll see the signs of hope all around you and that you’ll spread that hope to everyone you meet as you finish up your shopping and run your errands. And that you’ll take a few minutes out of your day to thank God for the sign of all signs.
Mary
