Stiff-Necked People

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.” (Luke 11:29-32)

According to the Book of Jonah: Unlike other prophetic books, this is not a collection of oracles but the story of a disobedient, narrow-minded prophet who is angry at the outcome of the sole message he delivers. It is difficult to date but almost certainly is postexilic and may reflect the somewhat narrow, nationalistic reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah. As to genre, it has been classified in various ways, such as parable or satire. The “sign” of Jonah is interpreted in two ways in the New Testament: His experience of three days and nights in the fish is a “type” of the experience of the Son of Man (Mt 12:39–40), and the Ninevites’ reaction to the preaching of Jonah is contrasted with the failure of Jesus’ generation to obey the preaching of one who is “greater than Jonah” (Mt 12:41–42; Lk 11:29–32).

Has our generation failed to obey the preaching of Jesus the one “greater than Jonah?”  Considering the state of world affairs, including right here in the United States, one likely would conclude: “Absolutely!”  We are a stiff-necked people.  According to the 32nd chapter of Exodus this means collectively we are antagonistic, stubborn, argumentative, and we go into minute detail to distinguish our point of view from others.  We are combative and not conciliatory.  

Are we an evil generation?  No, just plain stupid when it comes to our refusal to love one another, or at least to respect one another.  

Deacon David Pierce