Please read the Scripture passage before the homily.
Jesus answered the scribes and the Pharisees. He said, “You want a sign? You will have a sign. Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a whale. I will spend three days and three nights in a tomb. Jonah escaped from the whale and I shall escape from death!”
Nineveh was the China-Russia of the ancient Israelites, hated and cruel enemies. Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. The Israelites worst enemy repented.
The pagan Queen of the South paid attention to the wisdom of Solomon. Pagans and strangers are nothing in our esteem, but they paid attention to Solomon.
There is something greater than Jonah or Solomon here. It is kingdom of God among us, or it is Jesus among us bringing the kingdom. It was the pagans and the national enemy that heard and heeded that word of the prophet and of Solomon. Jesus’ compatriots, unlike the people of Nineveh and the Queen of the South, did not pay attention to the word of God and the wisdom that Jesus spoke. A prophet is not listened to in the prophet’s own native place.
Jesus came to his own and his own received him not. Jesus still comes to his own, but what response do we give? Jesus is the kingdom and Jesus brings the kingdom by his own coming.
The word of God and the wisdom of God tells us to repent and so gain wisdom. Jesus is greater than Solomon, greater than Jonah, and wiser than both. We need to embrace the word and wisdom in Jesus and so enter his[DV1] kingdom.
[DV1]gdom