The Demand for a Sign

The Pharisees, the learned Jews who knew the Scriptures well but were blinded in their faith, could not see the works of Jesus.  They did not accept Jesus as their Messiah as Jesus was challenging them in all they do, especially the rules they had made and were forcing the poor the poor Jews to follow them.  Jesus called them hypocrites as they themselves did not adhere to all the rules and they treated women, poor and even children with disrespect.  They prayed with pride and made a show of all that they did, in Synagogues and public places.

That’s the reason they followed Jesus to listen to his preaching and saw whatever Jesus did.  Instead of glorifying him, they criticized him and did not accept Jesus as the Messiah they had been waiting for.

In the above passage Jesus had just finished with the multiplication of bread and fish and fed the 4000 men and he encounter the Pharisees who reached late and missed the miracle of multiplication of bread.  They must have surely heard about it from people who were returning home after being fed.  So they started asking Jesus for signs not to the believe in him but to trap him, and Jesus knew their hearts were corrupt and so gets angry and sars that no signs will be shown to them.

Today, we too fall in this category when we find ourselves in trouble and we ask Jesus to show us signs to increase our faith but we fail to see all the good that is already present in our lives.  When we are sailing in calm waters we also forget to connect with Jesus.  

Lord Jesus, we are sorry for the times we have gone away from you, help us to remain in you and learn to thank and praise you at all times and not wait for miracles and wonders to believe.