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Do you ever wish God would be a little more obvious? Why doesn’t he just come right out with some big miracle or an appearance or two and immediately convert the whole world? Well, first God actually has done a whole bunch those signs and appearances. He appeared to 5000 people at once after rising from the dead. But, as we learn from the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, “Not even if someone should return from the dead would they believe.”
God will never force us to believe in him or follow him. Rather, he leads us by ways that are more subtle and “propose” rather than “impose.” St. John uses the word “signs” to refer to various miracles that Jesus works that point to his true identity. It begins with the wedding at Cana and ends with today’s Gospel. Jesus has turned water into wine, walked on water, healed people both near and far, and miraculously multiplied bread. He’s even created sight in a man blind from birth. But today he surpasses all expectations and raises Lazarus back to life who has been dead for four days.
When you put all of these signs together, you might well come to the conclusion that Martha reaches in today’s Gospel, “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” But not everyone does, and this is the great mystery of human freedom responding to God’s grace. If you consider yourself a believer, like Martha, maybe stop to reflect today on the path that has led you such a belief. What are the signs that you’ve experienced in your own life that have led you to faith?
In the end, what we really seek are not miracles or signs… we don’t even want just eternal life to be with our loved ones and live forever. Behind all this, we desire a person…. we desire Jesus and we want a relationship with him. In this case, the journey is even more important than the destination. Through the signs, the miracles, that Jesus works in our lives, we come to know him more. Stop and be grateful today for the ways God has led you to himself. And then don’t miss the signs that are yet to come.