Jesus criticizes the people for not realizing who he is. He calls them an evil generation. He alludes to the queen of the south (the queen of Sheba), who, after hearing about King Solomon’s reputation, comes to check things out for herself, traveling a great distance and giving him many gifts. She is not disappointed with what she sees and hears.
Now Jesus—who is much greater than King Solomon—stands before them, but they fail to seek him with the same earnestness that the queen of the south sought Solomon.
They don’t understand. Jesus, I think, is miffed.
The queen of the south made an extraordinary effort to discover the truth about King Solomon. Are we willing to put forth the same effort to seek Jesus?
[Discover more about the queen of the south in Luke 11:29–31. See “The Queen of Sheba” for the backstory in the Old Testament section.]
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.