In today’s Gospel, we hear about the presence of the crowd.
In the Bible, crowds often struggle with Jesus and his message. Why? It's because what he says and does challenges what feels normal and comfortable.
In this text, the crowd asks Jesus for a sign before they are willing to respond. In other words, they say, they want evidence and proof first. They want certainty. They want reassurance. They want to know it will be safe before they commit.
Jesus’ teaching is new to them. It doesn’t fit neatly with what they are used to. So instead of changing, they’d rather stick with what they know and let him move on.
Jesus pushes back on that way of thinking. He reminds us that there are people who have had far less evidence and still acted. The people of Nineveh changed their lives straight away. The Queen of the South recognised wisdom when she heard it and didn’t hesitate.
the point is simple:
The problem isn’t that there are not enough signs.
The problem is that people don’t want to act.
We often do the same thing.
We wait for the perfect moment.
We wait until we feel ready.
But deep down, we usually already know what the right thing to do is.
A great example of this kind of courage is Kurt Fearnley, one of Australia’s most respected Paralympians.
Kurt was born without the lower part of his legs. Growing up in regional New South Wales, he decided he wanted to compete in sport with students who weren’t physically disabled - not because it was easy, but because he wanted to challenge himself.
He trained hard, often by himself. There were no guarantees he would succeed. There were no signs telling him it would all work out. What he trusted instead was the process:
turning up, putting in the work, and not letting fear decide what he could do.
That courage paid off. Kurt went on to represent Australia at several Paralympic Games and won medals. But more importantly, he became known for his humility, resilience, and character.
The lesson isn’t about becoming famous or winning medals.
It’s about choosing courage before certainty.
It’s about committing to growth even when you don’t know how it will turn out.
That’s exactly what Jesus is getting at in today’s Gospel.
Courage doesn’t wait for reassurance.
It responds to what we already know is right.
So what does that look like for school students today?
It might mean staying quiet when you really want to talk in class.
It might mean introducing yourself in the boarding house instead of keeping to yourself.
It might mean putting more effort into homework, training, or co-curricular activities instead of making excuses.
None of those things need a sign from heaven. You don’t need certainty to start.
You just need to take the next right step.
Because courage isn’t about big heroic moments. It’s about small choices made every day.
Courage is trusting the process and doing the right thing - even when no one is watching.
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