The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. — Matthew 16:1
Several years after I started working in healthcare, I took a role with a company that was a privately owned company. Not long after I started there, I learned something new about how some aspects of business operate. Someone would help you with something, but it was expected that if they needed the favor returned, you would help them. I am not referring to unethical, illegal types of things. It was more like small favors in the normal course of work.
In one of those experiences, I had just asked a coworker to help me with a project. They had the information that I needed, and agreed to help. Soon, they came back to me asking for help. But it wasn’t so much of an ask, it was more of a demand.
It was one thing to be asked for something, but to issue a demand was another. It certainly left me feeling as though I wasn’t valued or appreciated. But just as that person gave me a demand, there are so many times we give demands to God.
In this verse, there was a demand for God to send a sign from heaven. There are times I have heard of Christians doing this in our day today. Other times, perhaps it’s a demand with a promise. For example, God if you will do this, I will do this for you.
When we consider who God is and all that He does, who are we to issue demands of God? God doesn’t owe us anything. We have been blessed more than we deserve. Instead of making demands of God, we should be focused on asking of God. God does not owe us anything. We owe him everything.
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