Sometimes discerning the will of God can feel like a treasure hunt. How can we know what God wants us to do in this or that situation? What is He asking of us today? These questions may range from a pivotal life decision to more common scenarios from our day-to-day lives. How often we may sigh and wish that if He would just speak audibly or write it across the sky, then following Him would not feel so puzzling. If only He would give us a sign, we think, then we would certainly do whatever He asked.
Today in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus gives some strong words about the seeking of signs. If you listen to the tone, he sounds somewhat exasperated: “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Why?
Perhaps one of the clues lies in the wisdom of pairing this Gospel with today’s first reading from Romans.
Identity
As Paul begins his letter to the Romans, he first identifies himself as a slave and then an apostle of Christ. Paul knows not only WHO he is, but WHOSE he is. This speaks to an important principle. Our actions will flow from our identity. Do I really know WHO and WHOSE I am? This simple question can be so easily overlooked, and yet it is foundational to our entire mission and understanding of ourselves. St. Ignatius understood this so well, he called it the Principle and Foundation. It is truly the launching point of the Spiritual Exercises designed to deepen one’s relationship with God.
Do you really understand your identity? It can be easy to provide an intellectual response: “Sure, I am a child of God.” But do I live from that identity? If I am puzzled by what He may be asking of me, then it is the perfect opportunity to come back to this question and ask Him to deepen your understanding of your identity in Him. It is time to return to prayer and LISTEN.
Obey
Once we know and begin to live from our true identity, then we can begin to better discern what Christ is asking of us in any given situation. In fact, Paul tells us that by “the grace of apostleship,” we also receive the “obedience of faith.” We cannot be obedient if we do not know what is expected of us. Consider the etymology of the word obey – “ob” (to) + audire (listen). To obey means to LISTEN.
So, we must spend time getting to know Christ on an intimate level by listening in prayer. From our experience of Him (not knowing about Him, but rather knowing Him), we come to a deep lived experience of our identity. Then from this identity, our ears (and hearts) become attuned to listen, to see and discern God’s creative movements in our lives. From that place of listening, we can then obey and live in His will.
Seek Jesus, Not Signs
We can see now why Christ was exasperated. We keep asking for signs while Jesus whispers to us: “Have I been with you so long and still you do not know me?” (John 14:9) In response to their sign seeking, he references the sign of Jonah and connects it to Himself: “Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.” The lesson is clear. The problem is not the action of seeking but rather the goal of the seeking. We must shift from seeking signs to seeking Him with our whole hearts. When we seek him wholeheartedly, no signs are needed. We will know what to do because we know the voice of our Beloved.
