Sigh-lent Night: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 8:11-13)

We’ve talked about our own reluctance to trust God for miracles.  Maybe there is something darker going on in our hearts in this regard.

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. (Mark 8:11-13, ESV)

They have seen Jesus heal countless individuals in front of their eyes, blind people, deaf people, people with leprosy, people with withered arms, paralyzed people.  If they cared to explore they could have heard of the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000.  They’ve seen demons cast out of hundreds of people.  They’ve heard the most brilliant teaching they’ve ever heard.  They had the testimony to him of the prophet John the Baptist.

But they want something more, some kind of sign from heaven?  Do they want God to speak out of heaven?  Do they want angels to appear in power and escort him to the Roman governor and overthrow him?  Do they want the sky to open up and Jacob’s “ladder” to appear?  What do they want?

The issue, of course, is their hearts.  They don’t really want to believe Jesus, nor give up their authority as leaders who have established themselves and their own righteousness.  Jesus sighs with anguish at the hard-heartedness and obstinacy of his people.  He will give them no sign.

And that is why God does not give us those kind of signs.  We see the evidence of His creativity every single day in His world.  We have seen the evidence of His love in countless blessings that have come our way.  We don’t want to believe.  We hold down or repress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18-26) because we don’t want to submit our lives to our Creator.  We want to stay in control, just like the Pharisees did.

We’re making Jesus sigh.