30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "
Miracles are the handiwork of God. Miracles demonstrate to us things that are simply too hard for us to do. Miracles point us to the Power behind the miracle. Last evening God did a miraculous display in the skies. The wind howled, the thunder rolled, the rain poured and the lightening came out of God’s storehouses to display His awesome splendor across the vast horizon. Trouble was, I just sat down to write this and I was busy! In less than the time it took for me to set up, my stage completely changed. The forceful wind caused the rain to come in the window directly behind my computer. As I was getting all the water up a blast of lightening shot through the sky and the Power took my power. To top it all off, I stepped on my glasses giving them a nice warped look! God was now getting my full attention – He was prepared to teach me a lesson – unfortunately, it takes a lot to get some people’s attention does it not? The storm subsided yet left my husband and me sitting in the dark. Like most “young” married couples of 35 years, we simply decided to emulate the Walton’s and go to bed at 8:00! I am now typing this by flashlight - sans coffee - at 5:00 AM which, for those who know me well know, is as great a miracle as the Red Sea parting! All I ask is to have mercy on my typos!
We humans are always looking for the miraculous signs and wonders are we not? We choose to see before we believe. Trouble is, the walk of faith is often to believe and then we see. I am reminded of the definition of faith given to us by the writer of Hebrews:
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. Heb 11:1-2 (NIV)
Indeed, through the great Hall of Fame chapter of faith in Hebrews 11 we see the words, “By faith” over and over again before the ancient’s name and action. God writes the following commendation regarding these saints of the past:
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Heb 11:13-16 (NIV)
I particularly love the last sentence in the above passage –“God is not ashamed to be called their God”. Is that not the most glorious thing to have said about a human sojourner? Longing for their heavenly home of which their eyes had not seen nor their ears had heard, God gives them a heavenly high five in holy writ. They believed God and He credited that faith to them as righteousness. When we believe something we act on it. Our thinking or beliefs models our actions – as one thinks, so they go. Paul emphasizes the importance of our thoughts when he tells us:
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Cor 10:5 (NIV)
Our thoughts are to be properly and appropriately transformed and renewed through the Word of God. We are told in Romans the following Truth regarding our minds:
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV)
The crowds in our verses for today wanted to see more of a miraculous display of God’s splendor for them to believe. While the miraculous gets our attention, it is not our sufficiency. Like these crowds, we often come away craving more. The Jews were always looking for the miraculous sign while the gentiles sought wisdom. Scripture tells us:
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 1 Cor 1:20-25 (NIV)
Jesus – the power of God and the wisdom of God – our Savior, Sufficiency and Strength – to Him be glory and honor and majesty.