Read: Matt 12:38-45
38. Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we want to see a sign from you.
39. But He answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. And there shall be no sign given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so the Son of Man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (MKJV)
38. Ekkor felelének néki némelyek az írástudók és farizeusok közül, mondván: Mester, jelt akarnánk látni te tõled.
39. Õ pedig felelvén, monda nékik: E gonosz és parázna nemzetség jelt kiván; és nem adatik jel néki, hanemha Jónás prófétának jele.
40. Mert a miképen Jónás három éjjel és három nap volt a czethal gyomrában, azonképen az embernek Fia is három nap és három éjjel lesz a föld gyomrában. (Hungarian Karoli Bible)
38. Então alguns dos escribas e dos fariseus, tomando a palavra, disseram: Mestre, queremos ver da tua parte algum sinal.
39. Mas ele lhes respondeu: Uma geração má e adúltera pede um sinal; e nenhum sinal se lhe dará, senão o do profeta Jonas;
40. pois, como Jonas esteve três dias e três noites no ventre do grande peixe, assim estará o Filho do homem três dias e três noites no seio da terra. (Portueguese Joao Ferreira de Almeida Atualizada)
Have you ever had your child say something like this to you: "If you really loved me, you'd give me a cookie?" Your reaction as a parent was perhaps not quite what your child desired. You probably reminded the child of just who is the parent here!
Jesus is doing the same thing here with these Pharisees. The signs, or miracles, of Christ are not a show to be commanded up to please or amuse the critics. Nor can these hypocrites provoke the living God into showing off just to prove who's God. God does things in his high and holy way, not our ways.
Remember that these are the same people who, a few verses back, said that Jesus was demon possessed. Now they fawningly address him as "Teacher." His answer is cold and to the point. You will get a sign. The sign is that of Jonah, by which he means the sign of the Resurrection. That will be all you will see.
This is a result of their attitude. Christ makes this clear in his two comparisons. First, he brings to their mind Jonah:
· Jonah was a prophet of God, a servant. Jesus is the Christ, the Master. If you listened to the servant, surely you should listen to the Master.
· Jonah escaped from the "great fish;” Jesus rose in glory from the tomb. Which is the greater?
The Ninevites represent all the evil people who, upon hearing the call, repent. Their example will entitle them to accuse this generation—for they repented at the call of a lesser servant.
But—it is a possible argument—I have no need of such repentance. I am not evil; I do all the ritual things the law requires. Then you consider yourself wise, correct? For the wise there is an example also. The Queen of Sheba came a great distance to hear the Wisdom of Solomon. Solomon too was but the servant of God. If she came that far to hear the servant, should you not hear the Master when He comes to you?
The point is simple: the more you know about God, the greater your responsibility to act as a child of God. The lesson applies to us today. When the poor man's child knocks at our door, do we feed the hungry? Do we take care and expense to spread the Gospel, here and abroad? These are the weighty matters. We know this. We will be held responsible for this.
God Bless!
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