Why does this generation seek a sign?

Gn 4,1-15.25; Ps 49; Mk 8,11-13
18 FEBRUARY

The man of God knows that everything in creation and time tells the glory of his Lord. To see God we need the eyes of faith, which are eyes not covered by sin, by wickedness and by evilness. With his eyes covered by evil, even if the Lord made prodigies so great as to make the whole universe startle, man would always remain blind. Before the Pharaoh, the Lord made ten portentous signs. He has attested to him that all creation is in his hands. He can do whatever he wants with it. What was the result for this hard-hearted man? His death in the Red Sea. Not even before such a prodigious sign, He had eyes to see and the heart to open himself to faith in the God of Abraham and of Moses, the only Lord of heaven and earth. The Book of Wisdom calls fools by nature those who by the visible works of God do not come to the contemplation of his great and invisible beauty.

For all men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan; But either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods. Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them. Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them. For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen. But yet, for these the blame is less; For they indeed have gone astray perhaps, though they seek God and wish to find him. For they search busily among his works, but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair. But again, not even these are pardonable. For if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord? But doomed are they, and in dead things are their hopes, who termed gods things made by human hands: Gold and silver, the product of art, and likenesses of beasts, or useless stone, the work of an ancient hand (Wis 13,1-10).

From the first day of his mission, Jesus performed miracles of all kinds. He has driven away impure spirits, has healed lepers, has given sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, the tongue to the dumb and life to the dead. People flocked to Him, bringing each his particular disease and he healed, cured and cleansed them all. He multiplied the loaves and fed a multitude with them. If a man is sound of mind and heart, he must necessarily testify that Jesus is different from every other man. He must testify that no one has ever done, not even Moses, not even Elijah and Elisha, the works done by him. He must confess and testify for human honesty. Faith has nothing to do with it here. In the face of history, one must attest to what he sees, hears and lives. That Jesus is the Different than every other man is not a question of faith, but of history. That Moses is greater than the magicians of Egypt is a matter of history and not of faith. Even the pharaoh’s magicians found it and affirmed it. Moses is different from us. Jesus is different from scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, chief priests and elders of the people. Jesus is the Different from any other man. He is the Different in thoughts and in works.

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.

The Pharisees ask Jesus to give them a sign seeing which no one might doubt of Him. Jesus replies that no sign will be given to this generation. He leave the Pharisees, get on the boat and leaves for the other shore. The sign is not given because one does not believe in God by challenge. One believed by faith. Faith is not born out of the extraordinary, but of the ordinary. It is the daily life of Christ Jesus, it is the purity of his word, the richness of his love, the hope that He rekindles in the hearts, the care of the body of man that must lead to faith. If he does not do this, other things are not needed.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that our daily life is a true sign of faith.