38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."
39He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40For 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.
- P66
43"When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
45Then 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."
- P67
The religious leaders demand a sign to validate Jesus’ authority even though they have already witnessed many miracles from Him. Because their hearts are hardened, no display of power will move them to genuine faith. Jesus points them to the ultimate sign: His death and resurrection. This will be the definitive proof of His identity as the Son of God. - P68
True faith is not built on spectacular experiences but on the Person and work of Christ. When our hearts are open, the simple truth of the gospel is transformative. When our hearts are hardened, however, we cannot see the value of any of Jesus’ miracles. We must pray for ourselves and others to have hearts that are receptive to God’s truth. - P68
While Jesus is still speaking to the crowds, He receives word that His moth-er and brothers want to speak with Him. Instead of going out to meetthem, He uses this moment to teach a lesson about true belonging. Jesus isnot rejecting His earthly family; rather, He is expanding the understandingof what it means to be part of God‘s family. Obedience to the will of theFather is the true mark of kinship with Jesus. - P68
Our relationship with Christtakes precedence over all human ties. Through faith in Jesus and obedienceto God‘s Word, we become His brothers and sisters-members of Hiseternal family. God desires that our relationship with Him takes precedenceover all others. - P68
Sometimes our prayers sound more like demands. In these situations, wemay have something that we really desire, and so we pray persistently with-out any sense of surrendering our wants to God. This does not mean thatwe should never be persistent in prayer. God does want us to seek Him inall things, and 1 Thessalonians mentions that it is good to "pray continually... for this is God‘s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:17-18). How-ever, we should always be aware of our heart posture when we are seekingthe Lord in prayer. Would we be content if His answer to our continuousprayer was "no," "wait," or "not yet"? Or is our way of praying reminiscentof the heart behind the Pharisees‘ words in today‘s passage as they demand-ed of Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you" (Matt. 12:38)?
- P69
We should reflect on whether the heart behind our persistence is a desire tocontrol the outcome of what God does in our lives or whether we trust Godto answer our prayers in a way that will be for our good and for His glory.
If you find, upon further introspection, that the heart behind your prayerlife is more reflective of the former, ask God to mold your heart to becomeone of persistent surrender to the goodness of His will. - P69
Father, thank You for adopting me into Your family through Jesus Christ. Help me to live each day in obedience to Your will. - P69
May my relationship with You take first place in all I do, and may I love others as members of Your household of faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. - P69
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