Prayer
Before you read, I invite you to pray this prayer based on Psalm 119:135
LORD, please cause your face to shine on me today.
In Your mercy and grace, show me the light of Your Word,
and teach me your decrees. Amen.
Briefly prepare your heart in silence, and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your awareness to the voice of God, coming to you through His Word.
Reading
Jesus’ words are once again sobering,
39 He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!’
Jesus had performed so many miracles by this stage of His ministry that it seems bizarre for these religious leaders to demand a sign. But we can easily identify with their desire. The Lord has done so many wondrous things in my past, and yet at times I still find myself longing to have Him perform miracles because, in those moments, I feel it will strengthen my faith if He does. Is that wicked?
Not necessarily. I’m sure the Lord understands that longing when it is sincere.
The issue for Jesus was not so much the longing to witness the glory of God on display in some great work of power. The issue was that they were, in fact, putting Him to the test. They displayed a refusal to believe and trust Him unless He performed a sign. Rather than a miraculous sign being a reason for deeper worship, awe and wonder, they made a miraculous sign the pre-condition for any kind of faith in the first place.
William Barclay comments:
They desired to see God in the abnormal; they forgot that we are never nearer God, and God never shows himself to us so much and so continually as in the ordinary things of every day.
Every day on planet earth displays the wonders of God!
By coming to us in the flesh, the Lord Jesus put the glory of God on display in an incomparable way. His life and ministry (as recorded for us in the Gospels) were filled with miracles!
Even more wondrously, He rose from the dead, and the tomb remains empty to this day. This is a greater miraculous sign than any other act could ever be.
So let us humbly hear Jesus in that context and accept that He commands us not to demand signs as a precondition for faith, but to trust in Him for who He is and to keep our eyes open for His ever-present wonders.
Contemplation
Please take time to ponder what Jesus has commanded us. Turn these declarations over in your mind. Keep them in mind throughout the day and live in step with Your King, Jesus.
As a disciple of Jesus Christ,
- I will not demand miraculous signs.
- I will keep my eye open to see His wonders in each and every day.
- I will trust and worship Him simply for who He is.
Lord Jesus, in Yourself You are the greatest miraculous sign I would ever wish for. I love You, I worship You and I trust You with my life. Amen.
Dave's Diary 
One response to “Matthew 12:38-42”
Father God, You are worthy to be praised, honoured, and adored. I worship You this morning, for You keep the sun, the moon, and the stars in the heavens. You give us rain to water the earth. Father, I know that we can trust in You, for our help comes from You. We certainly cannot trust the municipality for power and water, but we can trust You. We praise Your name this morning, Father, for You promise us that if we sow, we will reap. Thank you, Lord, that You watch over Your word to perform it. We pray for Your continued provision for Walmer Methodist Church because they steward their resources and sow into the community.
Father God, we pray regarding the war in Ukraine, its leaders, and all the regions involved, and ask for evil intents to be exposed and for Your wisdom to govern the decision-makers. Oh Lord, You alone are mighty. We pray that Your arm of strength will end conflict, protect those in harm’s way, and bring new life to regions affected by destruction. Lord, Your word says: “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth”, and so we petition You, our God Almighty, to break the weapons of war and bring peace, that those in power may choose diplomacy over destruction and that enemies may find reconciliation by Your Holy Spirit. We pray for provision for refugees, caregivers, and for the rebuilding of shattered communities.
We pray this in the almighty and redeeming blood of Jesus. Amen and Amen.
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