When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin′eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the South will arise 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 Nin′eveh will arise 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).
When the time was full, God the Son entered creation, becoming the God-man, Jesus. This was the great prophet that the people of God had been awaiting since Moses. Never in their wildest imaginings could they have guessed that the great prophet would not simply speak for God, but be God himself!
Through salvation history, God sent prophets to His people to speak for Him. In the case of Jonah, a prophet was sent to outsiders, instead of Israel. This prophet, Jonah, represented God’s visitation to the Ninevites. They listened and repented. But Jesus came to the Chosen People—to God’s own. And God’s own did not seem open; indeed they were obstinate in their rejection. They missed the visitation. Jesus warned them that the consequences of their rejection of Him would be condemnation.
In our own time, God continues to call out to us; inviting us to share in His love and blessing. In this way, we can say that His visitation among us continues. Do we receive Him, surrender to Him, serve Him? Don’t miss God’s visitation. Receive Him into your life in Sacrament and Word this Lent.
Remember, you are dust, and to dust you will return. Repent and believe in the Gospel.
Deacon Bickerstaff is available to speak at your parish or event. Be sure to check out his Speaker Page to learn more. Into the Deep is a regular feature of the The Integrated Catholic Life™.
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