This Generation.2

"Still unbelieving, this obstinate generation clamours for a sign; but no sign will be granted other than the sign that was given to the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was in the great deep for three days and nights, so the Son of Man will be three days and nights entombed in the earth."

--Jesus

Instead of signs, Jesus gives stories. Sometimes the stories include signs. Stories give life to the signs. The meaning of the signs is buried in the stories and needs to be mined for its significance.

In an increasingly visual and technological world, the impact of stories takes on greater significance...and danger. In print media reason, logic and imagination are powerful tools in deciphering meaning. In graphic media individual reason, logic and imagination are subverted with carefully crafted imagery created by people with potent powers of persuasion. The imagery serves nearly as a sign itself and demonstrates the inherent problem: signs can distract from gleaning the Truth in the stories.

For what is Truth but the meaning of events in our life and their relation to the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life? On our Facebook prayer page we are asked to pray for people who have met with very tragic problems in their lives. Usually we are asked to pray for healing, strength, resources and such. Very rarely are we asked to pray for the Truth of the event. In our asking we very much reveal the value we place on Signs vs Truth. Rather than placing our trust in a living Savior and the perfect will of God, we rely on our theological/doctrinal positions to make sense of something that, in human terms, seems so senseless.

But what do we need for good but God? And more and more of God's goodness to rule over the storm tossed events in life. If I stake out a position in scripture like "No harm befalls the righteous," what am I to do when harm befalls the righteous? Conclude they weren't righteous? Or that the paralyzing fall leaving a family in ruins wasn't harmful? To the humble in heart crying out to the One who can make clarity out of confusion, good out of bad, and power out of weakness, the meaning becomes clearer with each painful passing moment. Love and trust in God is the only Truth we really need and the value of learning them is in direct proportion to the difficulties we endure and the tender help the Son of God provides in leading us to the heart of His Father.

To the obstinate and self-willed; the judgmental finger-pointers and arrogant know nothings let them continue to clamor for justification to not humble themselves...and become poorer for it.

Faith That Moves Mountains.4

"These signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out devils. They will speak with new tongues. Serpents, or deadly things, will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick and the sick will be made whole. Possessing faith the size of a mustard seed, they shall say to the mountains: 'Be removed and cast into the sea.'"

--Jesus

Walking through a Walmart one day I saw a man with a "withered hand" (actually it was his whole arm, but I digress). I went through this thought process:

"What if I had the courage, like Jesus, to boldly approach this guy and ask if he wants his arm made well. What if after conquering my own fear and unbelief and getting excited about the possibility of a real miracle occurring right in the middle of Walmart, just like a modern day Jesus, what if he responded: 'Actually I was just looking for the butter.' Not sure what I would have said after that...probably best just to not trouble the man. Yeah, best not to trouble him..."
The point of that little scenario is that I am confessing that I've struggled with the whole 'laying hands on the sick and the sick will be made well' thing. If I believed I could do that, does that mean that the person needing wellness would recieve it? Whose faith is being tested? The one who believes God can use them to bless others in wonder-filled ways or the one who has lost hope in ever changing their miserable circumstances?

Just watched the movie "John Q" again, depicting a desperate father, trying to get a new heart transplant for his dying son, taking on the evil medical/insurance complex and emerging the hero for both his wife & son as well as the financially disadvantaged. 
 Heroes come in a variety of shapes and sizes and the One who spoke from "Himalayas that we can only view from our sand heaps" sought to inspire in those who "will follow" the possibility of being like Him and His Father. Like God, we love and help and save. And with the powers of the Godhead at our disposal the possibilities of loving, helping and saving are infinite!

Dressing up in a superhero costume doesn't make one a superhero; but it does remind us that reality often intrudes on fantasy! For the follower of Jesus, however, we live daily with the possibility of the supernatural intruding on the strife-filled, weary natural leaving a life, a family, a community, a nation, a world a better place to live!