Luke 11:29-32

Jonah 3:1-10

Psalm 51:3-4, 12, 13, 18-19

Luke 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus 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.

Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,

so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

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.

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you call to me to repent, to turn from a life of sin to a life of grace. I want this so much. Sin leaves me empty and unfulfilled. Only you truly satisfy my deepest desires. My happiness is found in you alone.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Offer of Mercy to the Gentiles: The primary message in today’s Lenten Gospel is the call to repentance. As Jesus journeys to Jerusalem, he recalls the figures of Jonah and Solomon and how both ministered to the Gentiles. Jonah was sent as a prophet to the city of Nineveh; Solomon welcomed the Queen of the South (the Queen of Sheba) to his court. In this way, both Jonah and Solomon prefigure Jesus, who sends out the Gospel to all nations. Unlike the Ninevites, who repented at the preaching of Jonah, many in Jesus’ day (those in “this generation”) rejected Jesus and his message of salvation and mercy. Earlier, in Nazareth, the townspeople rejected Jesus’ message that mercy would be offered to the Gentiles (Luke 4:25-29). What Luke’s Gospel teaches is that the merciful salvation of God is offered not just to the covenant people of Israel but will be extended in and through the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood to all nations.

2. Prophet and King: As Jesus journeys to Jerusalem to die for us and rise on the third day, he also teaches the crowds about his identity. He compares himself to both a prophet and a king. In this way, “readers are reminded that Jesus is both prophet and king (Luke 7:16; 19:38). Indeed, he is greater than these forerunners, and the ‘prophets and kings’ who came before him would have wished to see and hear him (Luke 10:24) (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 229). The prophetic message of Jesus far surpasses that of Jonah: Jonah was able to preach repentance, but could not forgive sins. The royal wisdom of Jesus far surpasses that of Solomon. Solomon was able to teach how to live a good life but was unable to give the power and grace to do so. Both Jonah and Solomon were flawed figures. Jonah wanted Nineveh to perish and cared more about a plant that provided shade than the salvation of an entire city. Solomon was so wise in his youth, but he allowed his heart to turn away from God and to idolatry in his old age. Jesus, by contrast, forgave his enemies, even as they crucified him. As well, Jesus persevered to the end and merited eternal salvation for all humanity.

3. The Sign of Jonah: Jesus points the crowds to the story of Jonah but also tells them that he, as the Son of Man, is greater than Jonah. Jonah was reluctant to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh, the sworn enemy of Israel. Jesus is greater than Jonah because he never hesitated to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations. The conversion of the city of Nineveh was a great sign that God was at work in and through Jonah. But the conversion of Nineveh only lasted for a time, and eventually, the city was destroyed in 612 B.C. – as announced and celebrated by the prophet Nahum. The conversion of the Gentiles, brought about by the preaching of the apostles and the centuries of Christians who followed them, is a great sign of the authenticity of Jesus’ work and message. Throughout the centuries, peoples and nations have continued to embrace the Gospel, turn from sin, and turn toward God. The mustard seed planted by Christ has grown into a great tree that has welcomed and continues to welcome the birds of all nations.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I want to believe. Help my unbelief! Increase my faith, hope, and love. I want to live the Gospel in my life so that I may attain eternal glory with you.

Living the Word of God: This Lent, we have heard both Jonah’s and Jesus’s call to repentance. We have been invited to turn from sin and from the things of this passing world to God. We should not attempt to do this by relying on our own efforts. Any true conversion we have or any true repentance we manifest must be empowered by the gift of God’s grace. We cannot save ourselves; we can only cooperate with God’s saving grace and action. How will I repent today?