February 21st Lenten Reflection

Luke 11:29–32

When the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say, “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 judgment 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! The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!”

Reflection by Tom Lewis

In antiquity, people saw miracles and said, “Surely, God has visited and redeemed the People.” Today, upon seeing the miraculous, the response comes, “Do it again. Slower.” The crowds were the second kind of audience, wanting a wonder for their amusement. The only sign these people will get is like the warning of Jonah: repent or God will destroy you. In Lent, we see over and over again that God has visited and redeemed the People. That redemption begs for repentance, or a changing of direction toward God and away from the superficial. During Lent, we take a good look at the sign of Jonah, and what it is about humanity that makes the event of the cross necessary and preferable to a superficial relationship with the world and each other. Surely, God has visited and redeemed the People, and we are here to turn toward that redemption. Jonah wasn’t just a fish story.

Jonah turned around, the people of Ninevah turned around, and because Jesus is the true sign, we turn, too.