"Jonah and the Whale" (1621) by Pieter Lastman
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jonah 3:1-5.10
The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’S bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, “ when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
REFLECTION: The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying.....
If the story of Jonah were to be a movie, the trailer ads might read--"Disobedience and rebellion, reluctance and repentance, sacrifice and redemption, restoration and relationship. It is the story of pride, grace and mercy."
But the story of Jonah is not only his, but yours and mine. It is the story of running away from God. We all have questioned God's will at one time or another. We can justify our disobedience but fortunately God does not give up on us and persists with His grace and mercy. But at the end of our doubts and turmoils we can say, God's grace is great.
The people of Nineveh had rebelled. It was a great, large and prominent city'. It had all worldly things, including businesses, arts, wickedness and evil. God told Jonah to go and preach against their evil. But Jonah was no different than the people of Nineveh. So God sent a rebellious prophet to help the rebellious people.
Though the Israelites were the chosen people, God had sent his prophets to Damascus, Gaza, Moab and other places. So it was not unusual for God to send Jonah to Nineveh. But Jonah opted to leave for Tarshish, away from God, refusing to obey and do God's will.
But Jonah forgot that God is everywhere. Eventually his sin of disobedience would catch up with him as it affected the sailors' life on the boat as well. At finding out that Jonah is the cause of the turmoil, he is thrown overboard and for 3 days lived in the belly of a large fish that the Lord provided for his safety.. God confronts Jonah by revealing his sin; and Jonah acknowledges his sin.
Jonah could not outrun his sin nor could he outrun God's graces, goodness and mercy. God is persistent, returning a second time telling Jonah to go to Nineveh.
We won't know God's love for us, until we give up working without God or until we realize we can't get to the shore without Him.
So now God asks Jonah to go again to Nineveh. Rest assured, God does not give up on us. He will come a second, a third or as many times as necessary so that we can fully hear His Word.
God Bless You
