Monday - 28th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Luke11:29-32

Give Me A Sign

Signs, Ginosar in Upper Galilee

A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help. Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, "Jump in, I can save you."  The stranded fellow shouted back, "No, it's OK, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me."  So the rowboat went on.

Then a motorboat came by. "The fellow in the motorboat shouted, "Jump in, I can save you.  "To this the stranded man said, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."  So the motorboat went on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, "Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety."  To this the stranded man again replied, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."  So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, "I had faith in you but you didn't save me, you let me drown. I don't understand why!"  To this God replied, "I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"

We hear about signs in today’s Gospel but the context is quite different.  The people are asking Jesus for a sign.  Prove yourself to us; give us a sign so that we know you are a prophet sent from God.  They believe they already have all the answers, that they know the truth.  They believe they are standing on a religious high ground looking down and judging Jesus’ worth as a prophet.  But Jesus sees them as they really are – a faithless generation, they are a bit like Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar!  Prove to me that you’re divine; change my water into wine.  Jesus’ response to them is simple – the sign of Jonah!  Jonah is called to prophesy disaster to the faithless people in Nineveh for their wickedness.  And they repent!  Jesus’ message to the people is clear: unlike the people of Nineveh, you have not repented!  Unlike the people who listened to Solomon, you have not listened to Jesus’ message!

We all hit crossroads in life; we are all looking for answers, for the right path to take.  Especially in moments of life-changing decisions, we pray for a sign from God to help us along the way.  We pray for guidance and wisdom! 

But Jesus reminds us that our faith isn’t based on miracles or wonders!  Our faith is based on the presence of Jesus in our lives.  That is what the Jews were lacking.  The real sign is Jesus standing right in front of their eyes but they refused to see!  And that is the challenge for us – to see the presence of Jesus in all we do, to see His gentle touch and calming voice in all our choices, guiding us along the way.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Sunday – 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 10:37-42 The Cost/Rewards of Discipleship Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem I’m holding in my hand a simple piece of paper, barely bigger than an index card.   It’s a mini-golf scorecard and it’s 47 years old.   At the time, the game itself probably cost only about $6.   Certainly a lot less than you would pay today.   So the cost today doesn’t seem like much.   But for me all that time ago, it was a wealth of money.   So it cost me a lot.   But the rewards of the card?   Well, that is priceless.   This was one of the first dates Ginger and I went on.   And who would have guessed how that would turn out?   All the memories we have shared, painful and joyful.   All the times we have shared together and the people who have touched our lives!   Priceless! Cost and reward!   Two vastly different concepts but they play a key role in all of today’s readings.   In the first reading, a rich woman goes out of her way t
Read more
Image
  14 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 11:25-30 The “Little Ones” Open Market, Jerusalem There’s a story about a rather eccentric teacher who was always looking for creative ways to test (torture) his students.   Sometimes it was crazy project and sometimes it was a wacky exam that tested not just their knowledge but also their experience. So one day he hands out a test, typical normal test, Q/A, except this was the last question.   What’s the name of the school janitor?   One of his students looked at the question and thought – I know he’s short, wears glasses and has light brown hair but how in the world would I know his name?   So he left it blank and turned in his paper. When class was over, he went up to the teacher and asked whether that last question would count in the test grade.   Absolutely, said the teacher.   Throughout your whole life, you will find that every person you cross paths with is important, significant.   They deserve you
Read more
Image
  16 th Sunday in Ordinary Time   revisited Gospel – Matthew 13:24-30 Be Patient, My Child Tied Up in Knots! Many years ago, I remember one summer when it was time for our daughter Jaime to learn how to ride a bicycle.   So I took off the training wheels, she climbed onto the bike and proceeded to take off.   I followed close behind, holding onto the back bumper, trying to keep the bike upright and trying to make sure she didn’t fall.   It was exhausting for both of us.   I thought I was being a good dad by doing everything I could to keep her from falling.   But it didn’t work.   We were both getting frustrated.   Finally, she had had enough and she banished me to sit on the front porch while she worked it out on her own.   It took time and it took a lot of patience, something neither one of us had much of at the start of the process. I was getting impatient with the process and she was getting impatient with me.   Patience was in short supply.   But in the end, patience w
Read more