***
Gospel: Luke 11: 29-32
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.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
Ninevah served as the ancient capital of the Assyrian Empire, located in modern-day Iraq. The Assyrians were known for their brutality, invading foreign nations by brute force, even taking over northern Israel in the 8th century BC.
Thus, the Jews – including the prophet Jonah – held a deep-seeded hatred for the Assyrians. They were not only the enemies of Israel; they were also the enemies of God. This is why Jonah was so reluctant to enter their capital city of Ninevah, telling its residents to repent.
In fact, God commanded Jonah not once, but twice! Finally, Jonah heeded the Lord’s command and, to his absolute surprise, they repented. As we heard in our first reading, “The king of Ninevah rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, and sat in ashes.”
Just like today, in the ancient world, ashes served as a symbol of repentance, humility, and mourning for sin. They remind us that – with the exception of God – all things are passing, even the powerful kingdoms of this world.
***
Why was Jonah such an effective instrument, leading the Ninevites to repentance?
***
He had nothing to gain.
He traveled a great distance and risked his life, even spending three days and three nights in the belly of a whale, in order to share this divine message with his enemies. When they heard his voice, the Ninevites realized Jonah had no reason to lie.
And wisely, they repented.
We see the same dynamic at work in the Acts of the Apostles.
Imagine Saint Peter preaching his first public sermon at Pentecost. Speaking before the same crowds who called for Christ’s death, he proclaims, “This man killed, using lawless men to crucify him But God raised him up!”
Peter risked his life to tell this truth – as did every other Apostle. Each of them preferred death to denying Christ.
Here we find the key to authentic Christian witness. We are called to live in this world in a way that doesn’t make sense… unless God exists.
Namely, love our enemies, pray for those who persecute you, labor for the salvation of all, even to the point of risking your life like Jonah and Peter.
So, what might that look like for us today?
***
***
Image credits: (1) National Catholic Register (2) My Jewish Learning (3) X.com