Do you want proof?
12 February 2018
Do you want proof?
Proof in faith sounds completely reasonable. Jesus’ presence challenged the very fabric of the Pharisees’ belief: the core of their identity. If someone challenged you as much as this, surely you would want proof that they are who they say they are. So, do you want proof?
Today’s Gospel challenges us on what our faith is founded on. It is really asking you, is your faith founded on an expectation that God will prove himself to you? When the Pharisees asked for a sign, they were asking God to act according to their expectations.
In short, they wanted revelation to fit within rationality.
It wasn’t enough for Jesus to just feed four thousand or even five thousand people. It wasn’t enough for him to work miracles amongst Jews and Gentiles alike. They wanted more! They wanted a sign so marvelous that any doubt that Jesus was the Messiah would be cast out.
We hear in the Gospel of Matthew, the same frustration from Christ at their lack of faith, but Jesus continues by saying that “the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” The prophet Jonah entered the belly of a whale for three days before being thrown up on the shore. While the image might be a little disgusting, it parallels that of Christ’s death and resurrection after three days. What Jesus is truly saying is the only sign of faith that we need to believe in Him, is in an encounter with the resurrected Jesus.
It is through this encounter that we can have the faith with “no trace of doubt” that we can see in the first reading.
Following your faith may lead you down paths you would never expect and may find difficult to understand. But it is an unwavering faith in Christ, and the steadfast belief in His resurrection, that is the key to peace and freedom.