Daily Readings - Wed Feb 21 2024
Jonah
1And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,2Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.3So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.4And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.5So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Luke
29And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.30For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.31The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.32The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of repentance, divine mercy, and the call to conversion. In the first reading, Jonah, after initial reluctance, obeys God’s command to preach to the people of Nineveh. His message of impending doom strikes their hearts, leading the entire city, from the king to the lowest citizen, to repent. They fast, wear sackcloth, and cry out to God, who, seeing their sincerity, spares them from destruction. This story underscores God’s mercy and the power of repentance.
In the Gospel, Jesus draws a parallel between Jonah and Himself. He tells the crowds that just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so too will the Son of Man be a sign to their generation. Jesus critiques the crowd for seeking signs while missing the greater wisdom and presence of God among them. He references the queen of the South, who traveled far to hear Solomon’s wisdom, and the Ninevites, who repented at Jonah’s preaching, suggesting that this generation should recognize the greater wisdom and sign in His presence. Both readings emphasize the importance of responding to God’s call and the transformative power of repentance.
These readings challenge us to examine our own lives. How often do we ignore God’s calls to change our ways? How many signs do we need before we turn to Him? Like the Ninevites, we are called to sincere repentance and conversion. Let us not harden our hearts but instead open ourselves to God’s mercy and grace. May we, like the people of Nineveh, turn away from sin and embrace a life of faith and obedience, trusting in God’s loving forgiveness.