[Jesus speaking]
He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

Signs are all around us. We see signs that tell us to buy certain products, have a specific hairstyle, drive a certain type of car, or hang out at certain restaurants. These are advertising signs. Other signs warn us of danger: stop signs, toxicity signs on chemicals, do not enter signs, etc. Some other signs might encourage, reinforce, focus us, or tell us the rules.

Signs, many times, serve an important role in life. Other times they can be deceptive. It in some ways depends on what type of signs we are looking for. Many times, we are only looking for signs that reinforce our positions or behaviors.

Jesus was challenging the crowd here about what signs they were paying attention to. They paid attention to weather signs for rain and temperature fairly well. But they had not been paying attention to the spiritual signs God was putting in front of them. When I focus on myself and justifying my actions, I find that I am narrowly focused on signs that reinforce my pride in myself.

When I focus on Jesus Christ and being a broken, transparent vessel used for his glory, then I can see and take heed of the spiritual signs that he wants me to see. Many times, it tends to be a matter of who I am focusing on!

How about you? How do you see signs? Are you seeing the spiritual ones that challenge you to grow or mostly the ones that reinforce your rights or positions?

Lord, teach me to pay attention, be humble, and seek to see the signs that will convict me, encourage me, and draw me closer to you! When I am connected into you, like a branch into the vine, then I am full of good things to share!