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.
Crowds press in around Jesus as He teaches. They want dramatic proof that God is with Him—that His words carry divine authority. Jesus answers with a warning and a comparison that demands a conversion of heart.
Jesus names the problem plainly: “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign” (v. 29). In Scripture, “generation” often means a people defined by their shared response to God, not only those living at one time. They refuse to believe in Jesus and to obey unless they see a spectacular sign. A “sign” is a public act from God that points to His authority. Jesus refuses to perform a sign on demand. He offers instead “the sign of Jonah,” which calls for repentance rather than curiosity.
“Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation” (v. 30). In Jonah, the prophet himself—his preaching and his deliverance—was the sign that God had acted and was calling for change. Luke does not detail Jonah’s three days in the fish as Matthew does. Luke centers on Nineveh’s repentance at Jonah’s simple message. Jesus is greater than Jonah because He is the Son of Man who brings God’s kingdom with divine authority. His presence, words, and works are the decisive sign that demands a moral response.
“At the judgment the queen of the south will rise… because she came… to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here” (v. 31). The phrase “the judgment” points to God’s final judgment. The “queen of the south” is the queen of Sheba (see 1 Kgs 10:1-13), a foreign ruler who traveled far to seek Solomon’s God-given wisdom. She stands as a witness against those who refuse to receive the One who surpasses Solomon in wisdom. Her eagerness exposes their indifference. If a Gentile ruler honored God’s wisdom in Solomon, how much more should Israel honor God’s Wisdom incarnate in Jesus.
“At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise… because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here” (v. 32). Nineveh, also Gentile, responded at once to a reluctant prophet and a brief warning. Their repentance highlights what Jesus seeks now: not amazement at signs, but conversion of heart. Those who refuse Jesus show a hardness deeper than Nineveh’s and will face that truth when God judges all things.
Historically, these sayings align with a group of confrontations in Luke where Jesus answers opposition with prophetic clarity. The theme is consistent: revelation brings responsibility. Jesus is “greater than Solomon” in wisdom and “greater than Jonah” in prophetic mission. His words do not invite tests; they summon repentance and faith.
Lord Jesus, Word and Wisdom of God and true Prophet, free my mind from constant demands for signs. Help me receive Your word, repent where I resist You, and live by the light You give today. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- Bernard Orchard et al., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (1953).
- Faculty of the University of Navarre, The Navarre Bible: Luke (2008).
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary (2018).
- Raymond E. Brown et al., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990).
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