Daily Readings - Wed Mar 12 2025
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, mercy, and faith. In the first reading, Jonah, after initial reluctance, obeys God's call to preach to the people of Nineveh. His message of impending doom prompts the entire city, from the king to the common people, to repent. Their sincere repentance moves God to spare the city, illustrating His boundless mercy and the power of genuine conversion.
In the Gospel, Jesus draws a parallel between Jonah's mission and His own. He critiques the generation for seeking signs while ignoring the profound message He brings. The people of Nineveh and the queen of the South, who sought wisdom, serve as examples of those who recognized and responded to God's presence. Jesus highlights that while His generation has the ultimate sign in Him, they fail to repent, unlike the Ninevites who had only Jonah's warning.
These readings challenge us to examine our response to God's call. Like the Ninevites, we are urged to embrace humility and repentance, recognizing God's mercy. In our daily lives, this means being open to conversion and not taking God's presence for granted. The spiritual reflection here is clear: repentance and humility are essential for a deep, transformative relationship with God. Let us, like the people of Nineveh, turn to God with sincerity, trusting in His mercy and grace.