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Gospel: Mark 8.11-13
The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Have you ever asked yourself the question, “What if?”
What if I went to a different college? What if I took the road less traveled? What if I took a risk for Jesus?
In today’s Gospel, I’m left wondering the same question, “What if?”
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In three short verses, Jesus arrives on the shores of Galilee… then, immediately, he departs. Mark gives the impression that Jesus has barely gotten out of his boat before being confronted by the Pharisees, who are seeking another sign from him.
The Lord has already raised a girl from the dead, cast out an unclean spirit, and fed thousands after multiplying a few loaves of bread. What else do they need to see?
Dismayed by their unbelief, Jesus sighs from the “depths of his spirit,” gets back into his boat, and heads to a different shore.
What if the Lord passed by them and went into town anyway? What were his plans? Would he have taught in their synagogue? Performed another miracle? Raised someone else from the dead? Changed a community forever?
We’ll never know. The Pharisees’ unbelief sapped the Lord’s desire to do any good for them.
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I imagine Jesus arrives along the shores of our own hearts each morning, planning to do good. But he only stays when welcomed.
What if we invite him to step out of the boat, and do the good he has planned?
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Image credits: (1) What if Jesus, Kristene DeMarco, The Field (2) He Sat Down and Taught, Mark Manning, Altus Fine Art (3) Unsplash