Daily Readings - Wed Mar 04 2020
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
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages of repentance and divine mercy. The first reading from Jonah recounts the prophet's mission to Nineveh, where he calls the people to repentance. The Ninevites, from the king to the lowest citizen, respond with humility and fasting, moving God to spare their city. This story highlights the transformative power of repentance and God's willingness to forgive.
In the Gospel, Jesus addresses a crowd, criticizing their demand for a sign. He references Jonah, noting that the Ninevites repented at Jonah's preaching, whereas the current generation has the greater sign of the Son of Man. Jesus emphasizes that those who fail to repent will be condemned by the examples of the queen of the South and the Ninevites, who responded faithfully to lesser revelations. This underscores the importance of recognizing and responding to God's presence in our lives.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own response to God's call. Like the Ninevites, we are called to humility and repentance. In our daily lives, we must remain open to God's signs and messages, whether through scripture, prayer, or the church. Let us embrace the urgency of repentance, not out of fear, but out of love for God. May we, like the Ninevites, turn to the Lord with sincerity, trusting in His mercy and grace.