Word to the Wise
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - Wednesday in the First Week of Lent
[Jonah 3:1-10 and Luke 11:29-32]At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here. [Luke]
The figure of Jonah is ever fascinating. Jesus uses Jonah's example in a couple of ways. In Matthew's version, Jonah's three day period in the belly of the "whale" becomes a "sign" of the resurrection, and then, in common with Luke, the repentance of the people of Nineveh becomes a sign of the identity and ministry of Jesus. [Matthew 12:40-41]. The mention of Jonah sends me back to read his whole story, and I recommend that to everyone. Jonah is a complex character. For Lenten purposes, I just want to mention a couple of things about him. First of all, Jonah was, at best, a reluctant prophet! He tried to run away from God, with nasty consequences for the boat he was traveling on. When it became clear that God was not going to let go of him, he goes to Nineveh and very effectively converts the King and the city. For the record, he's really the only "successful" prophet in the Old Testament. Yet, his reaction to the success is to sulk because his notion of success was that he would NOT be listened to and as a result he would have the pleasure of seeing Nineveh destroyed!!!! That didn't happen and God has to scold him! Jonah's story reminds me that I'm not in charge and I need to do my job and leave the success to God. I entered religious life because the idea would not leave me alone - God was persistent in the face of my reluctance. Secondly, after years of ministry, I've come to realize that may times my effectiveness is unknown to me and what I count as "success" may be a notion I've picked up from others or from some need of my own. Learning those lessons is an ongoing project and carries with it a penitential impact. A "Lent with Jonah" could be a worthwhile experience. It's more than whale watching! AMEN