Matthew 16:3
And in the morning, It will be foule weather to day: for the skie is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, yee can discerne the face of the skie, but can ye not discerne the signes of the times? Matthew 16:3 (KJV)
In this passage Jesus rebukes the religious leaders for their inability to perceive the spiritual significance of the events surrounding them. He points to a common saying of the time: a red and lowering sky was taken as a sign of impending foul weather. By saying, “And in the morning, it will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring,” He shows that the leaders could accurately predict the weather by observing natural signs. Yet He challenges them, “O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” This contrast highlights their inconsistency—able to read superficial signs yet blind to the deeper, divine indications of the age.
Jesus uses the everyday observation of weather as a metaphor for spiritual discernment. The people of the era would comment on temperature and sky appearance as indicators of the day’s conditions. By drawing their attention to these trivial observations, He underscores their failure to recognize the more important spiritual realities unfolding in His ministry.
The rebuke is directed specifically at the Pharisees and Sadducees, whose legalistic religiosity had become detached from true insight. Their focus on outward appearances—such as the color of the sky—masked a deeper blindness to God’s work. Jesus calls them hypocrites, urging them to look beyond surface phenomena and grasp the true significance of the signs of the times.
For contemporary believers, the passage serves as a reminder to cultivate spiritual discernment. It encourages seeking wisdom from God to understand His will, to look beyond superficial indicators, and to perceive the deeper movements of His kingdom. By paying attention to the signs of the times, believers are invited to align themselves with God’s purposes and to avoid the pitfall of judging solely by appearances.
