While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. 30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. 32 At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.
Jesus addressed the request for a sign from the 'evil generation (v. 35)' that rejected him, and made reference to Jonah who disobeyed God (Jonah 1:1-3) and spent three days in the belly of a great fish which was a type of death and resurrection (Jonah 2:1). The sign was Jonah’s preaching to the Ninevites who heard the power of God’s message and the great city repented of their sins (Jonah 3:1-10). The Queen of the South was the Queen of Sheba who visited and praised Solomon for his wisdom and riches (1 Kgs. 10), but Jesus surpassed the wisdom and power of Solomon. Gentiles heard the word of God and responded but many of the house of Israel rejected God’s word and will be condemned at the Judgment (v. 32).
Almighty God, grant us the grace to never seek signs of your existence but to feel your presence in all that we do. In your mercy help us to hear Your word and act on it so that we may not be found wanting at the last judgment. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Expanded Edition, Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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