Jesus “sighed from the depth of his spirit” when the Pharisees began to argue with Him, seeking a sign from heaven. If we skip this preface to Jesus’ words, we might easily misinterpret them. He says, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given.” And then He leaves. He sighs, tells them they will not receive what they ask for, and goes away. Why?
He is pained to the heart that they refuse to believe, even though they understand what He is saying and who He says He is. He is the ONE for whom they are waiting, and He makes this clear to them, but they have made a conscious decision to reject Him. If they had not closed themselves off, the signs He had already performed would have been more than enough; but miracles, healings, and exorcisms are not enough for them.
They want Him to show off His power for them, not just help people or heal people. What they are trying to do in this exchange is discredit Him in front of His followers, so they have something more to criticize. They want Him to do something so dramatic that faith and trust will not be needed. And Jesus says no. A painful, sighing, heart-wrenching “no”. Because He wants them to believe, receive, and be saved by Him. But they refuse.
We all have these tendencies in us. Like the Pharisees, we are set in our ways and our understandings, and when the Lord calls us out of our comfort zone or asks us to give something we want to hold onto, we sometimes hide behind our unknowing so we can stay where we are.
Faith is a gift, but we can reject it. We all want some kind of indisputable “proof” that God is with us, God is for us, and God loves us deeply. The proofs that He has already given sometimes don’t seem convincing because they have become too commonplace and familiar: God became man, taught us how to be children of God, established a sacramental way of remaining with us, and died so that we can at last live with Him forever.
God gives us many opportunities to reconsider our position, put our faith in Him, and give ourselves more generously to Him. While there is life, there is another chance, and another! Today, let us consider the deep sigh from the heart of Jesus, and respond to Him with a great act of faith and love: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24).
Jesús “suspiró profundamente” cuando los fariseos comenzaron a discutir con él, buscando una señal del cielo. Si omitimos este prefacio de las palabras de Jesús, podríamos malinterpretarlas fácilmente. Dice: “¿Por qué esta gente busca una señal? Les aseguro que a esta gente no se le dará ninguna señal”. Y luego se va. Suspira, les dice que no recibirán lo que piden y se marcha. ¿Por qué?
Le duele profundamente que se nieguen a creer, aunque entienden lo que dice y quién dice ser. Él es a quien esperan, y se lo deja claro, pero han decidido conscientemente rechazarlo. Si no se hubieran encerrado en sí mismos, las señales que ya había realizado habrían sido más que suficientes; pero los milagros, las sanaciones y los exorcismos no les bastan.
Quieren que les muestre su poder, no solo que ayude o sane a la gente. Lo que intentan con este intercambio es desacreditarlo delante de sus seguidores para tener algo más que criticar. Quieren que haga algo tan drástico que la fe y la confianza no sean necesarias. Y Jesús dice que no. Un “no” doloroso, suspirante y desgarrador. Porque quiere que crean, lo reciban y sean salvados por Él. Pero se niegan.
Todos tenemos estas tendencias. Como los fariseos, estamos anclados en nuestros caminos y en nuestra comprensión, y cuando el Señor nos llama a salir de la zona de confort o nos pide que demos algo a lo que queremos aferrarnos, a veces nos escondemos en nuestra ignorancia para quedarnos donde estamos.
La fe es un don, pero podemos rechazarla. Todos queremos algún tipo de “prueba” indiscutible de que Dios está con nosotros, de que Dios está por nosotros y de que Dios nos ama profundamente. Las pruebas que ya ha dado a veces no parecen convincentes porque se han vuelto demasiado comunes y familiares: Dios se hizo hombre, nos enseñó a ser hijos de Dios, estableció una forma sacramental de permanecer con nosotros y murió para que finalmente podamos vivir con Él para siempre.
Dios nos da muchas oportunidades para reconsiderar nuestra postura, poner la fe en Él y entregarnos a Él con mayor generosidad. Mientras haya vida, ¡hay otra oportunidad, y otra más! Hoy, consideremos el profundo suspiro del corazón de Jesús y respondámosle con un gran acto de fe y amor: “Señor, creo; ¡ayuda mi incredulidad!” (Mc 9,24).
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and eleven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com
Feature Image Credit: Antranias, pixabay.com/photos/carving-head-jesus-wood-to-carve-1641625/
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