This generation asks for a sign

A reading from the holy gospel according to Mark (8, 11-13)

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.

This is the gospel of the Lord.

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The four gospels are full of signs Jesus performed openly. Some signs Jesus performed because people in need asked him. We see him cleansing the lepers, giving sight to blind men, healing the sick that were brought to him and raising Lazarus from the dead. Others he performed on his own initiative like when he raised from the dead the son of the widow at Nain and when he fed thousands of people in a deserted place with only some loaves of bread and a few small fish. Many saw Jesus doing these things and heard him preach the good news. These signs by themselves spoke clearly about who Jesus was.

The answer given to the Pharisees by the man who was born blind and was healed by Jesus is quite interesting. The Pharisees sustained that Jesus was not from God and that he was a sinner. The man answered them, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing” (Jn 9, 30-33).

When John the Baptizer sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”, Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them” (Lk 7, 19. 22-23). For John these were signs enough that showed him who Jesus was.

When Jesus was arrested he was brought before the High Priest who asked him about his teaching. He answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said” (Jn 18, 20-21). John wanted his followers to know that Jesus was “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, while the High Priest and the Pharisees were keen to pull down Jesus and present him as a sinner.

Jesus performed enough signs that pointed to his coming from God. John the Evangelist noted in his gospel, “Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him” (Jn 12, 37). Therefore, Jesus was right when, in today’s gospel reading, he asked, “Why does this generation ask for a sign?”

The Pharisees began to argue with Jesus, Mark tells us. We might ask, “Is it allowed to argue with Jesus?” Yes, of course we can argue with Jesus. He respects our intelligence, for he created us with an inquisitive mind and tons of curiosity that push us on to ask questions and seek answers. We want to understand. This is what God wants us to do. We humans learn in steps and we are capable of discovery and little by little we understand the workings of all things created, for we were made in the image and likeness of a rational Creator. What our mind cannot understand, God revealed through his messengers by speaking to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, and by his Son (Cfr Heb 1, 1-2).

Why was Jesus upset by the Pharisees? They began to argue with Jesus not because they wanted to understand, not because they were searching for truth. They argued all the time and on all possible occasions in order “to test him”. They “watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor”, Luke tells us (Lk 20:20). In one word, they wanted to eliminate him.

“Why does this generation ask for a sign?” Jesus asked. “May we ask for signs?” we might ask.

I think we can point to three reasons why we would want to ask for a sign. Firstly, there is the Pharisee way. They saw ample and powerful signs wrought by Jesus, but they did not accept them. They wanted signs according to their own designs. They wanted to force God to do their will and, instead of seeing with their eyes and listening with their ears, they used their minds to plan how to kill him. This is why he said, “Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation”.

Secondly, there is Herod’s way. Luke tells us that when Pilate sent Jesus to be judged by Herod, who was in Jerusalem at the time of Christ’s arrest, Herod “was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign” (Lk 23, 8). Herod questioned Jesus at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. “Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate” (Lk 23, 11). Herod wanted to have some fun and wanted to see Jesus perform miracles. Jesus did not even speak in Herod’s presence. He did not want to satisfy his empty and vain curiosity. Jesus is no showman.

Thirdly, there is Nicodemus’ way. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a leader of the Jews, John tells us in chapter 3 of his gospel. He went to Jesus by night. He had questions to ask; he was trying to understand. John presents him as a learned and intelligent believer, but timid and not easily initiated into the mysteries of the new faith. His is the question, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus said to him, “Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’” And again, Nicodemus asked Jesus, “How can these things be?” Nicodemus was honest, he wanted to learn. Jesus gave him all the time he needed, and later, Nicodemus was there to help bury the crucified Christ.

Only John mentions Nicodemus and we know very little about him. His message for us today is that we can discuss things with Jesus, we can ask him questions, we can ask for signs. We can always ask him to lead us to the way of truth, to guide us from darkness to light. As we need traffic signs on our roads so also we need God’s signs in our lives, however not the way the Pharisees wanted, neither the way Herod wanted. We ask God to give us the signs that out of his wisdom and love can lead us on our way so that we may have life and have it abundantly (Jn 10, 10).