The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 11:27-36 comments: they desire a sign

Luke 11:27 ¶  And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28  But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Here is an interesting exchange. A woman suggests that Mary, Jesus’ mother, is blessed for being His mother, for giving birth to Him and sustaining Him in His infancy. This would sit well with those who worship Mary. The Roman Catholic Church has a strong veneration for Mary and the Islamic Koran even has a chapter, called a sura, devoted to her. But, Jesus says that even more importantly those who hear God’s word, obviously believing it, and keep it, clearly obeying it, are the ones who are blessed of God. This reminds me of the passage starting in Luke 8:19 that ends with;

Luke 8:21  And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

Luke 11:29 ¶  And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30  For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31  The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32  The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 33  No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34  The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35  Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36  If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

Remember things I’ve said earlier about the word evil in context. Evil can be malicious, intent on doing no good, and just basically the general disposition of mankind. See in the following evil as malicious, intent on doing violence or causing mischief.

Genesis 37:33  And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

See here evil as the opposite of peace, a consequence of God’s judgment.

Isaiah 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Jesus had just said to His disciples in verse 13;

Luke 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

This evil generation, opposed to God and His plan of redeeming mankind, or at least those who will accept His forgiveness, acknowledging their great need and trusting in His righteousness alone and not their own, want a sign. But the only sign they will receive is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as Jonah was in the whale’s belly for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17) which is a type of Christ’s time in the tomb and preaching to the spirits of the pre-Flood dead.

Matthew 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

1Peter 3:18 ¶  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20  Which sometime were disobedient, when once

the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

See single as contrasted with evil in verse 34. It is clear in this passage that Jesus states that only those who are spiritually healthy, able to see, will believe and follow Him. He is out in the open, not hidden, and if they are able to see they will be enlightened. I remember how I used to mock Christians and made blasphemous statements against God and Christ, belittling those who tried to tell me about salvation. But, as I saw regular Christians full of faith, imperfect but trusting Christ, and I saw how consistent they could be and kind to me it began to dawn on me that I was missing out on something. Finally, it became very clear to me that the gospel message was true. When my future wife asked me if I could think of any reason why I should not pray to ask Christ to take over my life I had no more arguments against Him. My mind, my spirit, was opened and my sight became clear.