Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Exodus
14:5-18; Matthew 12:28-32)
People are
foolish not to seek a sign of good faith before they place their trust in a
stranger. What bank would loan someone
money without the person having collateral?
Indeed, who would be allowed past the security gate at any public
airport without producing identification?
Then why, it might be asked, is Jesus so upset when the scribes and
Pharisees ask him for a sign in today´s gospel?
The answer is
that Jesus has already so cured many people and expelled so many demons as more
signs would be redundant. Not only that
but the scribes and Pharisees can judge from Jesus´ preaching that he is not an
impostor. It is time for them to dismiss
their doubts and heed Jesus´ message. Of
course, following Jesus will exact such sacrifice that adopting a sceptical
stance will always seem easier.
People
today look toward us Christians for a sign that Jesus is really divine. Not only in countries where Christians are a
minority but increasingly where Christianity is losing ground to scepticism, non-believers
expect professed Christians to live the love that Jesus preached. We might argue like Jesus in the gospel that
they will never be convinced. But it
seems even more in line with Jesus’ teaching that we make more effort to foster
an atmosphere of sincere care, especially the needy in our midst. Such actions will not only attract others to
faith in Jesus but also make us more coherent in our following of him.
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