A lack of showmanship

March 24

A Lack of Showmanship

Mat_12:38-45

Have you ever had your child say something like this to you:  "If you really loved me, you'd give me to me!"  Your reaction as a parent was perhaps not quite what your child desired.  You probably reminded the child of just who is the parent here!

Jesus is doing the same thing here with these Pharisees.  The signs, or miracles, of Christ are not a show to be commanded up to please or amuse the critics.  Nor can these hypocrites provoke the living God into showing off just to prove who's God.  God does things in his high and holy way, not our ways.

Remember that these are the same people who, a few verses back, said that Jesus was demon possessed.  Now they fawningly address him as "Teacher."  His answer is cold and to the point.  You will get a sign.  The sign is that of Jonah, by which he means the sign of the Resurrection.  That will be all you will see.

This is a result of their attitude.  Christ makes this clear in his two comparisons.  First, he brings to their mind Jonah:

·        Jonah was a prophet of God, a servant.  Jesus is the Christ, the Master.  If you listened to the servant, surely you should listen to the Master.

·        Jonah escaped from the "great fish;"  Jesus rose in glory from the tomb.  Which is the greater?

The Ninevites represent all the people who, upon hearing the call, repent.Repented  Their example will entitle them to accuse this generation—for they repented at the call of a lesser servant.

But—it is possible to argue—I have no need of such repentance.  I am not evil;  I do all the ritual things the law requires.  Then you consider yourself wise, correct?  For the wise there is an example also.  The Queen of Sheba came a great distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon.  Solomon too was but the servant of God.  If she came that far to hear the servant, should you not hear the Master when He comes to you?

The point is simple:  the more you know about God, the greater your responsibility to act as a child of God.  The lesson applies to us today.  Are we so wrapped up in our church activities that we neglect the greater things of God?  When the poor man's child knocks at our door, do we feed the hungry?  Do we take care and expense to spread the Gospel, here and abroad?  These are the weighty matters.  We know this.  We will be held responsible for this.  Will we be accused because of this, at Judgment Day?