My Thoughts 09/03/2022

The main character in the Scriptures today is Jonah.

Joseph O’ Hanlon in his book The Dance of the Merrymakers (St Paul Publications 1991), introduces the reader to the Old Testament by starting with the Book of Jonah, which is one of the shortest books in the Scriptures.

He points out that a minor prophet Jonah is mentioned in Second Book of Kings, but the book of Jonah was written over three hundred years late by an unknown author. Jonah was very much a reluctant preacher.

He was called to give a message from God to the people of Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrians. The people of Nineveh were pagan, cruel and hated. Jonah fled from God in the opposite direction. He didn’t want to give this message of God’s compassion and call of repentance to the miserable and pagan people.

After being swallowed by a great fish he had a second chance to give the message to the people. As Fr. Joseph says,

“Jonah knows well the kind of God he is dealing with and that God’s love and patience would cause the Ninevites to repent.”

He would much prefer that God rain down fire and brimstone on them.

Jonah reluctantly went to centre of the city and delivered the simple message,

“Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.”

The response to the message was that every man, woman, child and animal repented.

What is Jesus saying when he reminds us of the sign of the prophet Jonah? We must not restrict the mercy of God by own narrow-mindedness. The mercy and compassion of God is for all. God does not wish the death of anyone. Jesus says,

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Our response to the reading is Psalm 50,

For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.