Your Faith is Fake if You Need a Miracle to Believe
First Reading: Jonah 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 50(51):3-4,12-13,18-19
Gospel: Luke 11:29-32
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Many people say they believe in God, but deep down, their faith depends on signs and miracles. They want proof before they trust. Many Christians claim to have faith, but in reality, their faith is conditional. They trust in God only if He heals their sickness, blesses their finances, or answers their prayers exactly as they wish. They demand proof before they commit, expecting miracles, signs, and wonders as the foundation of their belief. Some even make deals with God – “If You fix this problem, I will follow You.” But is that true faith? The hard truth is this: if you need a miracle to believe, your faith is fake. Faith that depends on signs is not faith at all – it is spiritual bargaining. Real faith does not demand evidence; it trusts God even in silence, darkness, and suffering. It remains firm even when prayers seem unanswered and miracles do not happen. If your faith collapses when life gets difficult, then your faith was never in God – it was in what you expected Him to do. This is the challenge in today’s readings.
In the First Reading (Jonah 3:1-10), we see a city that repents without seeing a miracle. The people of Nineveh believe Jonah’s message immediately, and their faith leads them to action: “When God saw their actions, how they turned from their evil way, He relented and did not bring the disaster He had threatened” (Jon. 3:10). They had no visions, no supernatural signs – just a prophet’s warning. Their faith was not based on miracles, but on trust and obedience. The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuv), meaning “to turn back” or “to repent,” is central to this passage. True faith is not about demanding signs from God, it is about turning back to Him, trusting that His ways are right, even when we do not see immediate proof.
The Responsorial Psalm 50(51) continues this message, showing that real faith leads to radical change. The psalmist does not ask for miracles; he asks for a pure heart: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps 50:12). Many people chase after external signs, but they forget that the greatest miracle is a changed heart. A person who truly believes does not wait for miracles before obeying God; he follows God because He is God, not because He provides signs.
Then we come to the Gospel (Luke 11:29-32), where Jesus directly confronts those who seek signs: “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah” (Lk 11:29). The historical context here is that many Jews in Jesus’ time expected a Messiah who would prove Himself with spectacular miracles. They wanted dramatic wonders, like those performed by Moses or Elijah. But Jesus refuses to play their game. The only sign He promises is the sign of Jonah, which refers to His death and resurrection. Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish before being “brought back” to life; in the same way, Jesus would spend three days in the tomb before rising. This is the ultimate proof of who He is. But Jesus’ point is clear: those who truly seek God do not need signs. The people of Nineveh repented without miracles. The Queen of Sheba travelled far to hear Solomon’s wisdom without demanding wonders. But many in Jesus’ time, despite seeing His works, still did not believe.
The Greek word “πίστις” (pistis), meaning “faith,” does not just refer to intellectual belief – it means trust, commitment, and loyalty. Faith is not about seeing miracles; it is about remaining faithful even when you do not see anything. What lessons can we derive from this today?
1. Faith is not a contract with God: Sadly, many people treat God like a business partner – “If You do this for me, then I will believe in You.” This is not faith; it is negotiation. Real faith follows God even without guarantees.
2. The greatest miracle is a changed life: Many people chase after visions, healings, and supernatural experiences. But the real test of faith is not whether we see miracles, but whether we are converted. A truly converted heart is far more miraculous than a physical healing.
3. God’s silence is not His absence: Sometimes, people feel distant from God because they do not experience dramatic answers to prayer. But true faith trusts that God is working even when He is silent. If our faith wavers when we don’t see miracles, then our faith was in miracles, not in God.
4. Don’t be a spiritual consumer: Many people only follow God when it is beneficial to them. They want blessings, prosperity, and protection, but they do not want surrender, sacrifice, or trust. This is not faith; this is self-interest disguised as religion.
Dear friends in Christ, at the end of our lives, God will not ask how many miracles we witnessed. He will ask: Did you trust Me even when you saw nothing? Did you follow Me even when you did not get what you wanted? Did you love Me for who I am, not just for what I could do for you? Thus, if your faith depends on miracles, it is not real faith. But if you can walk in darkness and still trust in the Light, then your faith is genuine because “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed!” (John 20:29)
O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)
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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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