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From the Pastor’s Pen
Sunday
January 22, 2012
“Why Be Mad When God is Glad?”
Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B (2012)
Jonah 3.1 – 4.1
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God
changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon
them; and he did not do it. But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he
became angry. – Jonah 3.10 – 4.1 (NRSV)
The Holy Spirit and Dr. John H. Hayes inspire today’s lesson.
The prophetic Book of Jonah differs from all the other prophetic books in
that it is primarily a narrative with practically no prophetic proclamation.
It is a story about a prophet, his reluctance to preach repentance to the
hated Assyrians living in Nineveh, and his final submission to the prophetic
task and the subsequent repentance of the Ninevites.
The Book of Jonah is thus best understood as a prophetic legend that has
been built around the single reference to a prophet named Jonah. He is said
to have prophesied during the days of King Jeroboam II of Israel, who
reigned during the first half of the eighth century BC (2 Kings 14.25).
Jonah in the legend represents the staunch nationalistic,
anti-universalistic attitude that seems at times to have characterized
certain segments of Israelite religion and outlook.
The first part of the book (chapters 1-2) presents the prophet in his futile
and feverish attempt to escape the prophetic task placed on him. The story
of the great fish, which so often occupies the attention of [readers] to the
exclusion of the second half of the book, occurs in this section. The fish
story and Jonah’s attempt to escape his role emphasize the persistence of
God in seeing that the divinely appointed tasks are carried out. Even on the
occasion of the second call, Jonah still grudgingly hesitates to fulfill the
obligations of the prophetic task. Eventually, however, he goes to Nineveh,
whose size is also described in legendary terms. (Excavations at the site of
the ancient city have revealed a town about one and half miles in diameter –
not one that would require a three day journey to cross.) When Jonah
proclaims that Nineveh will be overthrown in forty days, the people believe
God and manifest signs of remorse – fasting and wearing coarse-clothed
garments (“sackcloth”). Both people and beasts share in the attitude (see
Jonah 3.7-9).
It is interesting to note that it is not only the citizens of Nineveh who
repent but also God (v. 10). For us moderns, references to God’s repentance
strike us as incompatible with the divine nature. The Old Testament,
however, was quite willing to speak of the divine change of mind, as in this
text (see Amos 7.1-4).
The lection from Jonah presents him as a type or an antitype to Jesus. Jesus
is said to have compared the Son of Man (himself) to Jonah as a sign of the
judgment of God. Unlike Jonah, Jesus appears as a willing proclaimer of the
kingdom of God and judgment, but both Jonah and Jesus are representative
of the prophetic call to repentance.
Love,
Lawrence T. Foster
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