I wish we could see inflection. Or hear it, actually.

The inflection of the Biblical text. The tone of voice when a handful of religious leaders say to Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” (Matthew 12:38). The amount of wistfulness or sarcasm or wondering or eagerness to learn. There had to be something in how they said it. There always is.

There are a couple hints in the story as a whole.

As we saw yesterday, Jesus had just healed a man. The response of the religious leaders, when they heard about it, was not positive. In fact, the Pharisees were downright rude. They accused Jesus of collaboration with the enemy. So in the very next scene in the story, it is likely that they were not asking for a miraculous sign with a tone of wonder and learning. At best, I would guess, it’s a trap.

The second hint comes in Jesus’ response.

He calls them “a wicked and adulterous generation.”

(I’m guessing that he turned to the adulterers and apologized.)

These are the religious leaders. They are the last people that would be wicked, according to them. They were scrupulous at avoiding adultery (and any of the other 10 commandments and several hundred others). They would be the generation of hope, according to them. The generation of sober-minded obedience, according to them.

And Jesus calls them names. And Jesus calls them out.

From his response, it’s pretty clear that they are not coming to him as earnest seekers after truth. They are ready to mock him, trap him, tease him. And he’s ready to scold them back.

And so he does.

The lesson for us, the question for us, is simple: as followers of Jesus, what inflection is in our voices when we say, “teacher…”