Scripture Daily

Context No. 137 of 4322 · Luke

Context · Reflection

Luke 11:27-32: in context

27It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!” 28But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.” 29When the multitudes were gathering together to him, he began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30For even as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will also be to this generation. 31The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and will condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, one greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.

Jesus has been arguing with a hostile crowd, and this passage begins with an interruption from someone friendly. A woman calls out a blessing on his mother: blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you. It is a compliment paid the ordinary way, through his family.

His reply redirects it rather than refusing it. On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it. In Luke's Gospel that is a description of his mother, who is shown hearing the word and keeping it from the first chapter. He moves the blessing from biology to something anyone in the crowd could enter.

Then, as more people gather, his tone changes. This generation asks for a sign and no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah. He names two outsiders who did better than the people in front of him: the queen of the South, who traveled from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon, and the men of Nineveh, who repented at Jonah's preaching. Jonah did no miracle in Nineveh. He walked in and said the city had forty days, and they believed him. The comparison is with people who needed no proof at all. What proof am I still waiting on before I do something I already know is right?

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