In today’s first reading we hear Jesus’ reference to “the sign of Jonah.” I think we have been conditioned to think: “Jonah, three days in the belly of the whale. Jesus, three days in the tomb. Ok, the ‘sign of Jonah’ must be Jesus’ Resurrection.” Maybe. I think it is more than that.
If I said, “Oh, say can you see…” most citizens would recognize those words as the opening verse of the national anthem. But I am not asking a question about your visual acuity. I am asking you to recall the whole story of a nascent nation struggling for its independence. In the same way, I would offer that “the sign of Jonah” is asking us to consider the whole of the story of Jonah – and not just the whale.
The Lord came to Jonah and asked him to be a prophet to the city of Nineveh, capital city of the moral enemy of Israel. Jonah’s response was to run away and attempt to sail to the farthest ends of earth. In short: storm at sea, crew throws Jonah overboard to appease the Lord, whale swallows Jonah, and the whale spews Jonah on the beach. Jonah begrudgingly makes the long journey to Nineveh.
Nineveh was located hundreds of miles from where the whale spewed Jonah on the beach. It is not likely that Jonah’s arrival in Nineveh was heralded by the news that he had spent three days in the belly of the whale. Yet somehow Jonah’s recalcitrant and truncated announcement, essentially, “repent or die” was heeded by everyone from King to people, even the animals.
What was the experience of Jonah in the belly of the whale? All of Chapter 2 is Jonah’s realization that he has sinned against the Lord and because of that is at the point of death. Does Jonah ever repent? He certainly realizes that only God can save him, but I am hard pressed to find where he repents. It seems to me that Jonah relents and gives in to the inevitable rather than death. God wants him to be a prophet to Nineveh and God gets what he wants.
The city of Nineveh witnesses the unlikely prophet of Jonah walking their streets with the basic message repent or die. In Hebrew his entire message is five words and I doubt it is given with either volume or enthusiasm. Jonah is a reluctant prophet at best – as shown in the last chapter of the book where he is sulking because they did repent and the Lord was not going to destroy them.
There were no miracles or great signs, just the prophetic word. It is enough and it is clear that the people of Nineveh repent.
Israel witnesses the unlikely prophet from Galilee – what good ever comes from Galilee, right? They were witness to a whole host of miracles and signs, yet they resist. It is as the Gospel acclamation says: “Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful.” (Joel 2:12-13) And yet they resist. They want another sign. Jesus says that at this point they will get what Nineveh received, the unexpected prophet announcing repent or die. The life, death, and ministry of Jesus is that sign. The choice is theirs.
We have the one sign given, Jesus the Christ. We have the Word calling us to turn to the gracious and merciful God. As always it is our choice.
