A Greater Sign

 

 Lk 11:29-32

The Sign of Jonah

²⁹ As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹ The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.

Jesus calls us to repentance and points to Jonah and the Queen of Sheba who were believers and witnesses who acknowledged the place God deserves and the need to repent and repair our lives. Our Lenten journey should see some such effort; let us heed the call to change our behaviors and eliminate as much as we can the things that separate us from God and our neighbor. Who is the Jonah for our day? Are we listening and making an effort to accept his message, or are we ignoring him?

Bro. Rene

Dear God, please help me to recognize and heed the Jonah who calls me to change the behaviors that separate me from you and my neighbor. Amen.