Daily Readings - Wed Mar 13 2019
Jonah
1And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying2Rise, and go to Nineveh, the great city. And preach in it the preaching that I say to you3And Jonah rose, and he went to Nineveh in accordance with the word of the Lord. And Nineveh was a great city of three days’ journey4And Jonah began to enter into the city one day’s journey. And he cried out and said, "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.5And the men of Nineveh believed in God. And they proclaimed a fast, and they put on sackcloth, from the greatest all the way to the least6And word reached the king of Nineveh. And he rose from his throne, and he threw off his robe from himself and was clothed in sackcloth, and he sat in ashes7And he cried out and spoke: "In Nineveh, from the mouth of the king and of his princes, let it be said: Men and beasts and oxen and sheep may not taste anything. Neither shall they feed or drink water8And let men and beasts be covered with sackcloth, and let them cry out to the Lord with strength, and may man be converted from his evil way, and from the iniquity that is in their hands9Who knows if God may turn and forgive, and may turn away from his furious wrath, so that we might not perish?10And God saw their works, that they had been converted from their evil way. And God took pity on them, concerning the harm that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it
Luke
29Then, as the crowds were quickly gathering, he began to say: "This generation is a wicked generation: it seeks a sign. But no sign will be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah30For just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of man be to this generation31The queen of the South will rise up, at the judgment, with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, more than Solomon is here32The men of Nineveh will rise up, at the judgment, with this generation, and they will condemn it. For at the preaching of Jonah, they repented. And behold, more than Jonah is here
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of repentance, mercy, and faith. In the first reading, Jonah is called by God to preach to the people of Nineveh, a city known for its wickedness. Jonah’s message is simple and direct: "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed." Yet, the people of Nineveh, from the greatest to the least, respond with faith. They fast, put on sackcloth, and cry out to God for mercy. Their repentance moves God to spare the city, showing His compassion and willingness to forgive those who turn from their sins. This story highlights the power of repentance and God’s infinite mercy.
In the Gospel, Jesus draws a parallel between the people of Nineveh and His own generation. He notes that while the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonah, His generation seeks a sign, refusing to believe even though "more than Jonah is here." Jesus emphasizes that the Queen of the South and the people of Nineveh will rise at the judgment to condemn His generation because they failed to recognize the greater wisdom and sign in their midst. This passage challenges us to examine our own response to God’s call. Are we open to the signs and teachings we have been given, or do we stubbornly resist them?
These readings call us to reflect on our own lives. Like the people of Nineveh, we are called to repentance and conversion. God is always ready to forgive and show mercy, but we must be willing to turn away from sin and toward Him. Let us not be like the generation that rejected Jesus, but rather let us embrace the grace and wisdom He offers. May we, like the Ninevites, respond with faith and humility, trusting in God’s love and mercy.