...at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
The conversion of Nineveh, as described in the Book of Jonah, is so implausible it's funny. Everyone from the king to the slaves, men and women and children, horses, mules, and pigs, plead to the Lord for mercy -- and so God relents and does not punish. And no one wonders if the threat, like Y2K, was never real in the first place. That a city like Nineveh, London, Paris, or Washington DC might suddenly, at the preaching of one fishy prophet and with no other impending catastrophe, might repent with massive displays of remorse -- is intentionally ludicrous.
But, the Author suggests, the Lord will humiliate and punish the prophetic people who cling to their pathetic, self-ordained righteousness.
Jesus apparently accepted the story at face value. He certainly had a sense of humor and got the joke in the Book of Jonah. He could use hyperbole to make his point as well as any competent preacher. A mustard seed will never produce "the largest of plants, ...a large bush, (such that) the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches." But he could use hyperbole or Jonah with a straight face to make his point -- repent or face the consequences!
...for there is something greater than Jonah here!
To those without faith, this sounds like an idle threat. They're not going to get it. Even the psalmist complains that the just world hypothesis is nonsense. The wicked are not usually punished; if they're convicted of major crimes and sentenced to several years in prison, they're given a presidential pardon. Nor are the just rewarded in this world; honesty is no longer the best policy if you want to get rich.
When I name the terrible punishment that has fallen upon the United States -- our churches are locked day and night and the faithful cannot find solace in a quiet sanctuary -- not many regard that as a dreadful consequence of sin.
But the faithful do recognize there is something greater than Jonah here. We shudder that our faith in God the Father and his son Jesus Christ might be stolen from us. We can imagine nothing worse than the Spirit withdrawn from us. We pray with King David in fear and trembling, "Do not drive me from before your face, nor take from me your holy spirit."
We cannot forget Jesus' warning, "The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
We take the Season of Lent and the threat of eternal perdition seriously because we believe that someone much greater than Jonah will go through Hell to lead us to Heaven.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.