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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 Word of the Lord.
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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 force, including taking over northern Israel in the 8th century BC.
Thus, the Jews – including the prophet Jonah – held a deep-seeded hatred for them. The Ninevites were not only their enemies; they were also seen as enemies of the God.
This is why Jonah was so reluctant to enter their capital city, urging its residents to repent.
But to his absolute surprise – and chagrin? – they did.
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Why was Jonah such an effective instrument of God’s will?
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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, and labor for the salvation of all, even to the point of risking your life.
So, what might that look like for me today?
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Image credits: (1) Words for the Heart, WordPress (2) The Story of Jonah, Willow Creek Community Church (3) Prayables