And the Pharisees and the Sadducees came, and to test Him they asked Him to show them a sign from Heaven. He answered the, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign..." 

Matthew 16:1-4, ESV

 

(Thanks go out to my sister-in-law, who suggested this article)

 

We are in the midst of one of the biggest winter storms to hit the U.S. in a number of years. Even on the fringe of the storm in West Texas, we are without water because of frozen pipes. I can only imagine what others are going through who are taking the full force of the storm.

 

However, we were not without warning. The approaching storm has been headline news for over a week now, as well as the main topic of conversation. I guess when it comes down to it, the weather is usually the main topic of conversation in farm and ranch country, but the rest of the world has caught up with us for this storm. All around the nation we have seen people rushing to the store and gas stations as if this were going to change our lives for months to come. We have all likely seen the pictures of the empty shelves in some of the stores, as people have hoarded everything from milk and eggs to toilet paper for this event that is expected to last for up to three days.

 

Now, don't get me wrong - we have made our own preparations, and that is not at all the point of this article. The point is one that Jesus had already made some 2,000 years ago: We are smart enough to take precautions and shelter when we see the storms coming that could be dangerous for a day or two, but we often don't have enough sense to see the eternal risks in failing to prepare our souls.

 

Now the Pharisees and Sadducees thought they had that covered. Though they had the Scriptures telling them what to look for, though they had the prophets proclaiming the Messiah's coming, and though they had seen more miracles in a day than most people have seen in a lifetime, they still decided that they had not seen enough. And without more evidence, they simply weren't going to change the course of their life.

 

In effect, they had heard the weather forecast warning them about inclement weather, they had heard the tornado sirens blasting, and they had seen the funnel cloud dipping from the sky, but they still wanted more verification that "a storm was a brewing". 

 

Jesus, in effect, told them not to be expecting any further signs. Tim Foxworthy would have told them. "Here's your sign" but that wouldn't have been enough. The fact is that you often cannot see that which you do not want to see. That was the problem with the Jewish leaders in Christ's time who did not want to yield their lives to God's will, and it is the same for stubborn people today.

 

The only question that remains is this: Can we see the signs?

 

The answer to that question will likely determine whether we are rescued from the storm or if we will get caught up in it. And that storm has consequences that will last for an eternity.

 

Jesus said that the path was narrow that led to life and few would find it, but that the path that led to destruction was wide and many would enter thereby. It's not that the narrow path was not well-marked, either. In fact, it is likely the best marked path that has ever existed. The problem is that most people simply don't read signs much anymore - nor do they read the Bible. They would rather listen to some friendly guy in a suit telling them that grace is their substitute for service, and that faith is their substitute for common sense. 

 

And this is not to depreciate faith or grace - they are vital! However, the fact remains that Jesus told us that we were to be good and faithful servants - not good and faithful masters. He also indicated that we were to interpret the signs of the times if we were to have any hope of avoiding the storm. That clearly indicates that faith is not a substitute for common sense - the two are complimentary, not exclusive of one another.

 

We can all be like the Pharisees and Sadducees if we so chose, but God requires that we do it His way. That means that by faith we embrace His grace, to be sure! But it also means that we make the effort to read the signs of the time and make the effort to prepare. When we do that in this physical world, we will nearly always ride the storms out safely, because we are prepared for them. By the same token, if we will read the signs contained in God's Word, we will take the necessary precautions and be prepared. It will be then that we can take advantage of the grace God has so freely extended and be prepared for things with eternal ramifications.

 

Can we see the signs that God has so plainly given us?