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Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost
July 21, 2025
Reading: Matthew 12:38-42
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, ‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’ But he answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was for three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here! The queen of the South will rise up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here!
Meditation: Jo Ann B. Jones
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” It is very possible, even probable, that the sheer audacity of this request/demand escapes most readers. Imagine asking Jesus to prove himself and make his authority credible. Have they forgotten that he is the Son of God, or more probably can they not admit that they do not believe it at all!
To contextualize, recall Paul’s comment: “The Jews demand signs.” This demand was to establish proof of those who claimed to be the messengers of God. (One can imagine that the temple leaders were trying to protect their authority and their positions.) The proof which they sought was that the messenger had the power to take some extraordinary action. These were the signs the Jews desired. This desire arose from a fundamental mistake. They sought God in the abnormal occurrences of life, rather than appreciating that God reveals himself continually to us in the most ordinary occurrences of our lives. This speaks volumes concerning his presence to us and desire to be in relationship with us. How very heartening to know that God is present in all the moments of our lives, not just the very highs or lows. The constant companionship is an extraordinary gift. It lightens each and every day. Or rather, it should. When one considers the incredible variety in all of nature, of that which we can see and then imagine all that we do not on this planet and beyond– in every moment we are reminded of God’s very presence to us!
Recall these words of Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” These opening words point to seemingly ordinary occasions, and yet even in these God is present, for they occur repeatedly. That is incredibly reassuring. It opens us to God’s constancy to us throughout each and every day. It adds a measure joy even to what seem to be the most quotidian of circumstances
It is of no wonder that Jesus is outraged at the request that he give them some sign! It reveals the Jews’ utter faithlessness in God. The depth and breadth of such faithlessness give rise to sin. If only they could see that their quest, their desire for a sign has been met in the person of Jesus. And to their great sadness they have not recognized this. Jesus is God’s sign. What is our reaction when we are confronted with God in Jesus Christ? Ultimately, the question put to us is Who do you say Christ is?
A Prayer For the Knowledge of God’s Creation
Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with all its marvelous order, its atoms, worlds, and galaxies, and the infinite complexity of living creatures: Grant that, as we probe the mysteries of your creation, we may come to know you more truly, and more surely fulfill our role in your eternal purpose; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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