'This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.' – Luke 11:29-32 (ESV)
There was this video that was done while I was at Mizzou where one of my fellow staff workers was Jonah. It was quite funny; the way he portrayed Jonah made us all realize that living in a fish would be gross. But unlike my friend's portrayal, Jonah is not a very great guy. He refused to give news to Nineveh, because he knew God would have mercy on them if they repented. To say that Jonah was a reluctant prophet is being quite generous. Now if the people of Nineveh could hear the word of the Lord from Jonah, how much more could the crowds hear from Jesus? Jesus is not just a prophet; He is more than a prophet. And if God can work through a wretch like Jonah, how much clearer is the word of the Lord when He is ‘personally’ involved?
