Look and Respond

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, the scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign. At first, that doesn’t seem like a bad request. After all, if someone claims to be sent by God, wouldn’t you want proof? But here’s the problem: they had already seen plenty of signs. Jesus had healed the sick, given sight to the blind, cast out demons, and preached with authority. They weren’t lacking evidence but they were lacking openness. Sometimes we tell ourselves, “If God would just give me one more sign, then I would believe.” But maybe the real question is not, “Has God spoken?” The real question is, “Am I listening?”

Jesus says the only sign they will receive is the sign of Jonah. Jonah spent three days in the belly of the great fish before being brought back to life. Jesus is pointing to His own Death and Resurrection. That is the greatest sign God has ever given the world. Everything in our faith rests on this truth: Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead, and is alive today. We don’t follow Jesus because He gives us everything we want. We follow Him because He conquered sin and death. The empty tomb is God’s final answer to the deepest questions of humanity.

Jesus also mentions the people of Nineveh. They heard Jonah preach only a short message, yet they repented immediately. The Queen of the South traveled a great distance just to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Then Jesus says something remarkable: “There is something greater than Jonah here. There is something greater than Solomon here.” In other words, the people of the Old Testament responded to God’s servants, but many standing before Jesus refused to respond to God Himself. That should make us stop and think. We have the Scriptures, the Sacraments, the Eucharist, and the Church. We have received so much more than they ever did. The question is: what are we doing with these gifts?

It is easy to think that faith would be easier if we had seen Jesus with our own eyes. But many people did see Him, and they still refused to believe. Faith is not simply about seeing miracles. It is about having a heart that is willing to be changed.

Maybe today’s Gospel is inviting us to stop waiting for extraordinary signs and start noticing God’s ordinary presence. Every sunrise is a gift. Every Mass is an encounter with Christ. Every confession is a miracle of mercy. Every act of love is a sign that God is still at work. The greatest miracle may not be the one we are waiting to see but it may be the transformation God wants to accomplish within our own hearts. When we stop demanding more proof and begin responding to His grace, we discover that God has been speaking to us all along.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Forgive me for the times I keep asking for more while ignoring what You have already revealed. Open my eyes to see Your presence in my daily life and soften my heart to respond with faith. Help me to trust You, even when I do not have all the answers, and give me the courage to follow wherever You lead. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko