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The Gospel Proclamation
“This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise at the judgement with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! ....
Prayerful Awareness
Luke 11/16 says “Others testing Him sought a sign from heaven”. Replying them Jesus said, “No sign will be given except the sign of Jonah the prophet.” When Jonah got the message for the first time from God to be given to Nineveh, he was trying to avoid going there by running away from God, by boarding a ship going to some other place. But due to a storm he was thrown out of the ship into the sea. He was then swallowed up by a big fish and then vomited on to a dry land after three days. He went to Nineveh only when he was asked by God for the second time to deliver His message to the Ninevites that unless they repent and change their sinful ways, Nineveh will be destroyed. His mission to Nineveh had the success desired by God when the Ninevites repented and turned to God giving up their evil. When God saw their positive response, He decided to forgive them and withhold His wrath. But He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because the people there did not heed His warnings to repent and give up their sinful ways.
The people of Nineveh believed the message of God conveyed to them even by an unknown person, whereas the Jews failed to believe the repeated messages of God given to them by Jesus, one of their own. The unprobable Ninevites repented upsetting prophet Jonah, but the probable Jews failed to repent disappointing Jesus who also played the role of more than a prophet to them. Jesus saw this reversal of probabilities as a sign to the Jews. At the time of judgement the Ninevites will blame the Jews for not accepting what they themselves accepted without any hesitation. In another sense, Jonah’s coming out of the belly of the fish quite alive after three days is quoted as a sign of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The queen of the South has travelled a very long distance to hear the wisdom of king Solomon. At the time of judgement she too will blame the Jews for ignoring Jesus who Himself is a Jew, but is in a class by Himself.
Prayer Starter
Jesus called the people who asked for a sign from heaven an evil generation. Are we also a part of that evil generation who without trying to experience the love of God are asking for signs to believe Him. If so, the people living around us, who had less opportunities for knowing God but yet believed in Him, will rise up against us and will blame us at the time of judgement. According to Psalm 50, even if no one will rise up against us, God will call the heavens above and the earth that He may judge us. O Holy Spirit enrich us with Your gift of faith to enable us to believe in God without asking for signs from heaven.
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