Word to the Wise
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 - 1st Week of Lent - Wed
[Jonah 3:1-10 and Luke 11:29-32]The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: "Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you....." [Jonah] While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them: "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation." [Luke]
Jonah has two interesting distinctions! He is the only prophet who manages to get people to listen and act on his prophecy! Nineveh and its king repent! The second distinction is that Jesus mentions him by name! Isaiah is the only other prophet Jesus actually mentions by name. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew (12:40) refer to the example of Jonah's preaching of repentance as a sign that Jesus is also giving. The Gospel of Matthew also mentions Jonah's time in the belly of the whale as a sign of Jesus' death and resurrection! So Jonah is important!
Jesus speaks of Jonah in the context of his evident frustration with the constant demand of the crowds for "signs." They don't seem to regard the necessity to repent as a "sign" and so they are not listening to the new "Jonah" who is greater than the original! Instead they look for more spectacular things like "miracles." This expectation ignores the identity of the "sign worker" in favor of the "sign." There is a "greater than Jonah" present. It is not "miracles" that work faith but faith that works miracles. Perhaps we should examine our own expectations in that light in Lent! AMEN
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