Daily Readings - Wed Feb 21 2018
Jonah
1Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,2"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you."3So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"5And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.6The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.7And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,8but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.9Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish."10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Luke
29When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.30For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.31The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.32The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of repentance, faith, and the call to conversion. In the first reading from Jonah, we see the prophet Jonah, who, after initial resistance, obeys God’s command to preach to the people of Nineveh. The Ninevites, upon hearing Jonah’s warning of impending judgment, immediately repent. They fast, wear sackcloth, and cry out to God for mercy. Their actions demonstrate a deep faith and a willingness to change their ways. God, seeing their sincerity, spares the city from destruction. This story highlights the power of repentance and God’s mercy.
In the Gospel, Jesus draws a parallel between Jonah and himself. He tells the crowd that no sign will be given to their generation except the sign of Jonah, referencing how Jonah’s preaching led to the repentance of the Ninevites. Jesus then contrasts this with the current generation, which, despite witnessing greater wisdom and miracles through him, remains hardened in sin. The queen of the South and the people of Nineveh, who repented at the preaching of Jonah, will rise up at the judgment to condemn this generation for its lack of faith. Jesus’ words challenge us to examine our own response to God’s call and to recognize the signs of grace that are present in our lives.
These readings remind us that faith is not about seeking signs or waiting for perfect conditions to act. Rather, it is about responding to God’s invitation with humility and openness. Like the Ninevites, we are called to repentance and to trust in God’s mercy. In our daily lives, this means being honest about our sins, seeking forgiveness, and living in a way that reflects our commitment to God. Let us not harden our hearts but instead allow the Word of God to transform us. True faith leads to action, and our actions reveal the depth of our conversion. May we, like the people of Nineveh, turn to God with sincerity and experience the richness of his love and forgiveness.