NOT ‘TIL YOU PROVE IT
Opening Prayer
Sometimes it’s helpful to hold out open hands, as a symbol of offering God your whole self. Pray this way today.
Read Matthew 12:38–50
ernational Version (NIV)
The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How do you know God is real?God, how do I know you are real? Prove it and then I’ll believe—how else do I know I can trust you with my life, my problems, my situation?
The Pharisees had similar thoughts (38)—although they had already made up their minds that Jesus was not the Messiah they wanted. They had just seen Jesus heal a demon-pos-sessed man (22), but they wanted more proof. They got more than they bargained for—the rough edge of Jesus’ tongue (39)! Signs would come all in good time—his time—and they heard they needed to repent and believe in him (41b,42b). The seeking of signs seems to be symptomatic of something else being needed—a healing declutter (44).
The Messiah had come but he was not at all what they ex-pected or hoped for, so they rejected him. Jesus exasperat-edly uses the sudden arrival of his earthly family to show an enormous contrast of commitment (49,50). To accept him wholeheartedly means a closer commitment of love and loy-alty than even that of earthly family ties. It was not quite the kind of sign that the religious leaders had in mind when they asked him for one.
Apply
Are you there for your close friends when they need you? Do you “have their back”? What has God been asking you to do? Can he trust you to do it? Have God’s back today and do what he requests.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, teach me how to be faithful to You in all I do. Give me strength to do what You call me to do.
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