Scripture:
Reflection:
The Old Testament reading from the Book of Jonah describes Nineveh as “an enormously large city: it took three days to go through it”. In fact, for some number of years, the city of Nineveh was the largest city in the world. However, the term “city” used in the Old Testament frequently referred to a regional area of relatively cohesive population under the rule of a single potentate, in the case of the first reading, the king of Nineveh. So, the three-day transit makes sense.
The Book of Jonah also depicts Nineveh as a wicked city worthy of destruction. After Jonah’s perilous ordeal in the belly of a great fish, which resulted from his own disobedience to God by trying to flee from the mission that had God had sent him on, Jonah prayed and repented and moved on to the City of Nineveh to preach to the Ninevites of their coming destruction. Upon hearing of Jonah’s warning from God, the Ninevites fasted and repented for 40 days. As a result, God spared the city.
Five centuries later, Jesus told a gathering crowd, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” The sign of Jonah is a reference to Jonah’s three days and nights in the belly of a great fish. Jesus is using this analogy to foreshadow His own death, burial and resurrection which transforms the Old Testament wrath of God to the New Testament covenant of salvation.
So here we are more than 2,000 years after the life and death of Christ. If Jesus came amidst us today, would He consider this “an evil generation”? Look around yourself at the global scene. What would your own assessment be? Obviously, in the context of our fallen nature, every generation is to some extent “an evil generation”. There are good and saintly people and there are foul and demonic people. That was likely the case in the city of Nineveh. The question that we each need to ask ourselves: Am I a contributor to an evil generation? Or somehow through the grace of God, am I able to turn my back on the evil within me and around me and achieve the mercy of God that the Ninevites did.
Like the Ninevites, we are now in the 40-day season of Lent. Perhaps we can follow the example of the wise King of Nineveh. All, from the King to his lowest subjects, humbled themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Seeing their repentance, God did not carry out the punishment he had intended for them. Rather he relented and had mercy. During this season of Lent, let us rise from our thrones, lay aside our robes, cover ourselves with sackcloth and sit in ashes for 40 days. And let us remember, that notwithstanding our meager Lenten sacrifices, no matter their minimal consequential impact on our daily lives, God is indeed a God of mercy and forgiveness. He only desires that we approach Him daily with a contrite heart and a promise to turn against our evil generation to bring the Gospel message to His people and to live out the Gospel message ourselves.
Doesn’t God, through our holy Mother Church, afford us so many opportunities to turn our back on sin and return to Him rejoicing in His wondrous love and mercy? Thank you, dear Lord.
May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts.
Bill Berger has had a lifelong relationship with the Passionist Family. Bill and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPPs) in Houston, Texas.