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<< Matthew 15:39 Matthew 16:2 >>
Matthew 16:1-4
Who asked for a sign? Who asked for a miracle? Those whose hearts were farthest from Him, the unbelieving, the hecklers, the critics. These people cared nothing for the real Jesus, so they occasionally became the objects of His scathing denunciations. He calls them "hypocrites" for asking for a sign.
Those who ask for signs or seek miracles, who put out the fleece like Gideon did (showing a glaring lack of faith), are actually casting insults on the Word of God. They are calling it into question. They are profaning His name, calling Him a liar because, if He says He will do something, and it is impossible for Him to lie, He will do it!
This can be very sobering. It brings to mind an advertisement that used to appear on television every once in awhile featuring a stern-looking woman dressed in a gown, who said, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!" and then thunder pealed! God, surely, takes our immaturity into account, but it is not nice to call Him into question. That is tempting Him. If He says He will do something, He will do it, according to His will. Therefore, calling for a miracle often characterizes carnality, not spirituality.
The next question, then, has to be, "Will not God work a miracle in answer to a prayer?" He makes a great many promises, such as healing, which is indeed a miracle. Will He perform a miracle for us? Yes, He will. But if we search His Word, we find more than a dozen qualifications for answered prayer, not just a couple. Some of them are of major importance, some of lesser importance, and He does not require that every qualification be met perfectly. Even so, divine healing in response to answered prayer is not automatic.
Whether or not God grants our request seems to boil down to three broad areas—four, actually, but three of them fall on us. One is the way we are living. A second is the understanding involved in the request. The third is the attitude in which the request is made. When those three are combined with God's will, the answer becomes clear: He will do it. However, He will do it in His time and in a way that will give credence to His Word, to His truth, to His purpose.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Is God a Magician?Related Topics: Answered Prayer | Answered Prayer, Qualifications for | Asking According to God's Will | Calling for a Miracle | Divine Healing | Gideon | Gideon's Lack of Faith | God as a 'Magician' | Hypocrites | Lack of Faith | Miracles | Mother Nature | Qualifications for Answered Prayer | Seeking Miracle | Seeking Sign | Spiritual Immaturity | Tempting God
<< Matthew 15:39 Matthew 16:2 >>
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What Does Matthew 16:1 Mean?
Those who demanded a sign from Jesus were the unbelieving hecklers and critics, whose hearts were farthest from Him. He called them hypocrites, for seeking signs or miracles—putting out the fleece as Gideon did—reveals a glaring lack of faith and casts insults upon the Word of God. Such demands call Him into question, profane His name, and effectively label Him a liar, since He cannot lie and will do whatever He says. Calling for a miracle often characterizes carnality, not spirituality. Yet God does answer prayer and performs miracles according to His will, though divine healing is not automatic. More than a dozen qualifications govern answered prayer, centering on how one lives, the understanding behind the request, and the attitude in which it is made.