Week 10 – March 2-8, 2025:Looking for Signs

This week’s daily readings:

March 2-8, 2025

This week’s devotional:

Looking for Signs

by Rt. Rev. Brian Bethke

Scripture:

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

— Matthew 16:1-4 (NIV) 

Reflection: 

When I first became a Pastor, I had the pleasure of serving a small rural community on a Native American reservation in California. This community was in a mountainous chaparral region that was connected by a main paved highway and numerous unmarked dirt roads. On one occasion, I was invited to the home of an influential community leader that was interested in knowing more about Jesus. I was very excited! When I asked for his address, he casually replied, “Just go up the hill, head east, make a left at the oak tree on the right. You can’t miss it. The oak tree is the biggest tree in the area.” I smiled, shook his hand, and left assuming it could not be that hard to find. 

A week later I was off for my visit. I pulled out my directions – which I had accidentally spilled coffee on – and started the trek. “All I have to do is find the oak tree. Plus, I am sure there are road signs,” I thought to myself. As I crested the hill, the entire landscape seemed to be filled with oak trees. I kept driving east, convinced I would see a road sign or something. No, just more trees! Eventually I ended up in an open field. A tribal member saw me sputtering around and assumed I was lost. He jumped in my car, showed me the turn off, and finally I made it to my designation 30-minutes late. 

The young man I was meeting greeted me at my car. I immediately apologized for being late. I explained to him that there were so many trees, I decided to look for the road signs. He looked at me, laughed, and said, “Our road signs are trees and rocks. The turnoff for my road has the largest tree in the area. Sorry you missed it.” He pointed to the large oak down the road. He was right. It was huge! How did I miss it? I was so busy looking for road signs that I missed an obvious sign right in front of me. 

Isn’t this typical human behavior? The signs aren’t always obvious to us, even in something as important as our journey toward God. What are the signs that assure us we will be with Jesus in the afterlife? I believe that the resurrection is the large oak that brings us to the desired destination we long for. It reminds us of how much God actually desires a relationship with us! It frames our journey, right now. Let’s keep our eyes on the signs he has given us and not on the ones we think we need.

Prayer:

Almighty God, we thank you for choosing us in Christ and loving us when we were unlovable. You sent Jesus as a sign of your incredible love for us! Jesus, we thank you for living the life we could not live so that we can have life anew. We so look forward to spending eternity with you! And, Holy Spirit, help us to pay attention to all of your guidance and to live intentionally for your glory. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen