Word to the Wise
Wednesday, October 9, 2013 - Wednesday in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time
[Jonah 4:1-11 and Luke 11:1-4]'You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor and which you did not raise...."
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 ST. LOUIS BERTRAND, O.P. [Wednesday in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time]
The story of Jonah is one of the best in the Old Testament. The quote above is taken from the end of the story when God finally confronts Jonah in his sulking over the fate of the city of Nineveh. Jonah had gone to Nineveh at God's command and told them they would be destroyed in 40 days because of their wickedness. To everyone's surprise, Nineveh repented, so God decided not to destroy them. Jonah resents God's change of mind! He was a prophet who took himself too seriously!
There are some folks who love to make dire predictions but love even more to see them come to pass so they can say, "See? I told you so!" That is not the role of the prophet. Yes, repentance is a desirable goal and sometimes dire threats are needed to get the repentance process going. Taking morose pleasure in seeing the dire prediction come true, however, puts the prophet in a rather sick category! Perhaps we should remember Jonah the next time we cry: "You'll be sorry!" or "I told you so!" AMEN