Luke 11:27-28 (ESV) As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
A woman in the crowd yells out a blessing on Mary, the mother of Jesus. Jesus corrects this woman’s focus on Mary as someone to be worshipped. Blessing comes to those who listen to God’s Word and obey it.
Luke 11:29-30 (ESV) When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “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.
Earlier in this passage, people who seeking Jesus to give them a sign from heaven so they could believe. Jesus has been healing and delivering hundreds, if not thousands of people He has been doing miracles of all kinds and yet people were asking for another sign. Jesus calls them an evil generation.
Despite having seen multiple signs, they still have not believed in him. Jesus says they will be given another sign, the sign of Jonah. Jonah spent three days in the belly of the whale before being saved. Jesus’ ultimate sign would be spending three days in the grave before being resurrected.
Luke 11:31-32 (ESV) 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.
Overall, the Jewish people did not listen to Jesus’ wisdom. They did not repent of their sin and believe in Jesus. So, judgement will fall on all those who actually saw Jesus’ miracles and heard his teaching, but refused to believe.
Today, there are those around us, who oppose our witness for Jesus. There are some who worship and even pray to Mary, which is idolatry. Others, refuse to believe even when the Gospel is presented or miracles happen. Jesus was persecuted by those kind of people and we will be as well. He continued to love them and so must we.
Perhaps God will change their hearts and turn them to Himself through our prayers and witness. Don’t be discouraged by the opposition of people to your witness, it’s going to happen. But God will bless you as you are faithful to Him. Finally, the last battle is to …