Psalm 7│Isaiah 43.14-28│Revelation21.1-8│Matthew 12.38-50
Psaumes 7 |Esaïe 43.14-28 | Apocalypse 21.1-8|Matthieu 12.38-50
What is a miracle?
In
our gospel reading for today, we do not see any fireworks: no calming of the
sea, multiplication of food, or healing of the sick. In fact, we don’t see any
miracles at all. Or do we? What I find compelling about this text is that it
challenges the false dichotomy that separates the miraculous from the mundane.
The
scribes and the Pharisees demand that Jesus show them a sign, but Jesus was not
in the business of producing “signs” on demand. On the contrary, he was in the
business of giving himself, the ultimate sign of God, for the redemption of all
creation.
In
our gospel passage, then, we witness supreme irony: people looking directly at
God incarnate, redeemer of all creation, insisting that they won’t be satisfied
until they see a “sign”. They demand a miracle, but do not even recognize the
miracle of the incarnation in front of them: The God of creation as a Galilean
carpenter-turned-rabbi.
Jesus
demonstrates that God is to be found in the most unexpected and ignored corners
of the world. God is spectacular, no doubt, but also subtle. In a world that
longs for the short-lived spectacle of fireworks, Jesus appears as a soft
radiance that is easily missed by casual onlookers, but entrances those who
dare to gaze upon him.
This
is a great point to keep in mind as, during this season of advent, we await our
saviour, Christ the King. The method of his royal arrival will be fairly
unappealing, and even a bit scandalous: a child born out of wedlock and in a
barn. God in the goats’ feeding trough. This is the mundane miracle we
anticipate this advent season.
Jacob Quick
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