Today's Reading: John 4:46-54
Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 1:1-19; Matthew 21:23-46
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” (John 4:48)
Fast-forward a couple of weeks. You sit down to Thanksgiving dinner. You’ve been smelling the turkey roasting since you got up. The table is full—stuffing, candied yams, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie loaded with ice cream or whipped cream. Even that traditional family vegetable casserole thingie looks, smells, and tastes good on Thanksgiving Day.
Dad asks God’s blessings and gives thanks for the gifts of the past year and the wonderful food set before you. He begins carving that magnificent, golden bird. Mom stands at his side. After slaving since yesterday to put together this feast, she just loves serving the resplendent meal to her loved ones.
Your mouth is watering, your tummy growling, and finally it’s time to eat! And just as you begin to hold out your plate, she pulls out her Betty Crocker cookbook and starts showing everybody pictures of the food she has prepared and set before you.
Bizarre? Well, that’s pretty much Jesus’ point. Here He is, the very Son of God dwelling amongst the people—preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins to open the kingdom of heaven to them right now—and they keep asking for more, for different signs than the ones he gives them.
Dear children of God, you have signs and wonders set before you at the Thanksgiving table our Lord sets before you in His Church every Sunday and on other special days during the church in remembrance of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. You have the sign and seal of Holy Baptism marking you as one of His redeemed. You have Christ’s Holy Church and ministers through whom the Holy Spirit continually bestows upon you the forgiveness of sins to keep you with Christ Jesus in the kingdom of heaven.
You see these signs and wonders, and in faith you believe that you belong to God and reside with Him forever—in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Water, blood, and Spirit crying, By their witness testifying To the One whose death defying Life has come, with life for all. (LSB 597:1)