Lenten Meditations 2017

Wednesday of the First Week in Lent

Reading 1 JON 3:1-10
Gospel LK 11:29-32

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."

Meditation:
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What would Jesus say about this generation? Would he label us "an evil generation"? I fear so; war, murders, abortion, cruelty, greed and many more evils are so pervasive today, so against the 'life in full' that Jesus came to bring.

In both scriptures today we hear about Jonah. I like Jonah, I identify a lot with him. For instance, I fear that if God told me to go to D.C. and call all our Gov't leaders to repentance or face destruction I may very well end up in the belly of a whale. I can be obstinate, narrow minded and tunnel visioned like that.

But God has a much wider vision than I. Yes, God calls D.C to repentance but he also calls you to repentance and he calls me to repentance. We are all sinners who need to repent so he sent his Son to us all.

We have a sign that is greater than Solomon, greater than Jonah in Jesus. We deserve destruction but receive mercy...if we repent.
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Lent calls us to heed his word. Peace.