We wish to see a sign from you

Jesus has done wondrous acts in the sight of people, among them the scribes and the Pharisees.

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While the crowds are amazed that nothing like what Jesus does has ever been seen in Israel, the scribes and the Pharisees are not convinced that Jesus is from God since Jesus violates the Sabbath by curing. This time, they ask for a “sign” that will show beyond doubt that Jesus is a prophet from God, or even the Messiah. What kind of miracle will satisfy them? Jesus refuses their demand and calls them an evil generation. In a way, they echo the devil’s temptation of Jesus in the desert, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread” (Mt 4:3) or the chief priests and scribes who challenge Jesus on Calvary, “Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him” (Mt 27:42). Nonetheless, Jesus points to two signs that will prove that he is God’s chosen one. First is the sign of Jonah: the prophet’s sojourn in the belly of the whale prefigures his resurrection from the dead. Second, Jesus’ ministry of preaching the Kingdom of God is something greater than the wisdom given to Solomon. The Ninevites and the queen of the south—pagans who responded to the lesser opportunities than have been offered to Israel—would fare better in the day of judgment than the unbelieving generation.

First Reading • Ex 14:5-18