Wednesday of the First Week of Lent - March 4
Jonah 3:1-10 Luke 11:29-32
Today’s first reading picks up with God’s second request that the prophet Jonah, “Set out for the great city of Nineveh.” For those of us who grew up in so-called Cradle Christianity and for that matter Cradle Judaism, the story of Jonah in the Whale is as familiar as most nursery rhymes. However, few
of us know the complete story of the prophet Jonah and his conflicted relationship with God.
In the first chapter of the Book of Jonah, he tries to run from the Lord’s command to go to Nineveh to preach against their wickedness. Why did Jonah reject God’s request? It seems that Jonah, like other Israelites, disliked the Ninevites. But Jonah trusted in the Lord’s mercy. He knew if his preaching to the Ninevites was successful and they repented, God would forgive them. Despite his understanding of God’s mercy, Jonah is later angry that God forgave the Ninevites.
For me, this story is not about fantasy. It is about understanding God’s love and our human propensity to hate our enemies. Even when we completely understand how essential God’s mercy is in our lives, we want it withheld from others. It is ironic and beautiful that God forces Jonah to be a part of
salvation for his enemies. He calls Jonah to the higher realization that his own salvation is directly tied to the sharing of God’s mercy with others. If our love for God is selfi sh and jealous, then it cannot reflect God’s love that we have received.
When we want God’s justice for others but the full measure of forgiveness and mercy for ourselves, we have made our faith a competition. We fail to understand that, as with Jonah, God will try to use us to dispense His mercy. He will draw us to that image and likeness of Himself that we are called to be.
Q: When have you been jealous of the mercy shown to one of your “enemies”?
Today’s first reading picks up with God’s second request that the prophet Jonah, “Set out for the great city of Nineveh.” For those of us who grew up in so-called Cradle Christianity and for that matter Cradle Judaism, the story of Jonah in the Whale is as familiar as most nursery rhymes. However, few
of us know the complete story of the prophet Jonah and his conflicted relationship with God.
In the first chapter of the Book of Jonah, he tries to run from the Lord’s command to go to Nineveh to preach against their wickedness. Why did Jonah reject God’s request? It seems that Jonah, like other Israelites, disliked the Ninevites. But Jonah trusted in the Lord’s mercy. He knew if his preaching to the Ninevites was successful and they repented, God would forgive them. Despite his understanding of God’s mercy, Jonah is later angry that God forgave the Ninevites.
For me, this story is not about fantasy. It is about understanding God’s love and our human propensity to hate our enemies. Even when we completely understand how essential God’s mercy is in our lives, we want it withheld from others. It is ironic and beautiful that God forces Jonah to be a part of
salvation for his enemies. He calls Jonah to the higher realization that his own salvation is directly tied to the sharing of God’s mercy with others. If our love for God is selfi sh and jealous, then it cannot reflect God’s love that we have received.
When we want God’s justice for others but the full measure of forgiveness and mercy for ourselves, we have made our faith a competition. We fail to understand that, as with Jonah, God will try to use us to dispense His mercy. He will draw us to that image and likeness of Himself that we are called to be.
Q: When have you been jealous of the mercy shown to one of your “enemies”?
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