Dearest e-votees-
Our appointed gospel reading comes from the third chapter of Jonah
It recounts God's message to Nineveh through Jonah, the response from the people and animals of Nineveh and God's response.
Peace,
Karl
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The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.
[6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8 Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”]
10 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.
Jonah 3:1-5 [6-9] 10, NRSV
When I was in seminary we were often reminded that the "ideal" Lutheran sermon had three points and was sure to communicate both Law and Gospel. This message of Jonah's didn't pass that litmus test. It was a 1-point, 100% Law message: In 40 days Nineveh will be destroyed. There is no explanation or justification for this imminent demise (perhaps none was necessary for the hearers). There was no whimsical or insightful homiletic illustration (such as Nathan's story of the rich man taking the poor man's sheep when confronting David about adultery with Bathsheba). There was no proclamation of grace or hope or redemption. There was merely the coldly-stated matter of fact statement of a woeful end. I suppose it is most akin to the doctor saying "Your days are short. You best get your affairs in order."
But the people of Nineveh did more than divvy out their estates and write parting missives to their families spread far and wide. They proclaimed a fast. Everyone put on the clothes of mourning (sackcloth). They put on an attitude of at least desperation if not outright contrition. Everyone throughout the power structure.
The lectionary left verses 6-9 on the cutting room floor. I don't begin to understand this. This is not a lengthy reading and the epistle reading for this same Sunday is only 3 verses. I do not believe brevity was the goal. Perhaps it was distasteful to emphasize the king and his nobles declaring the fast. I don't know. I do find it powerful that not only the people but all of the animals (herd and flock) participated in the repentant act in ashes and sackcloth. No food or drink was to be theirs. All, people and animals, were to cry mightily to God.
What is most puzzling about leaving verse 9 outside of the assigned reading is we miss the intent of the fast. Perhaps God might relent if we do such a thing was the thinking. And God did. God changed God's mind. God turned in the other direction. God repented. God defied God's own words through the prophet Jonah. In Deuteronomy 18:20 that exposed Jonah to death since he spoke words on behalf of God that did not come to pass (there's some law for you). You can read on in Jonah if you are so inclined to see how Jonah responded to God's merciful turn of events.
Perhaps this text sets us well for Lent. Soon (February 18) we will corporately and individually repent and receive the mark of the ashes (the fiery remains of palms from triumphal entries past). We will commemorate for 40 days (not counting Sundays) between Ash Wednesday and Easter our brokenness and our need for God's mercy and grace. We know we have it in Jesus already but it helps us enter more fully into the good news of the empty tomb and our restoration when we have intentionally sought after God's mercy. We are the Ninevites and the dour Jonahs. Their stories are ours.
We don't know if our days are short or long. We really don't. So maybe we best get our affairs in order. What that means, primarily, to the Christian is that we draw near to God and lean hard on God's mercy--always making room for others who want to join the fast.
God, have mercy on us. Help us constantly cry out to you knowing that you are so much more willing to forgive than we are to cry out. Amen.
Our appointed gospel reading comes from the third chapter of Jonah
It recounts God's message to Nineveh through Jonah, the response from the people and animals of Nineveh and God's response.
Peace,
Karl
------------
The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.
[6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8 Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”]
10 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.
When I was in seminary we were often reminded that the "ideal" Lutheran sermon had three points and was sure to communicate both Law and Gospel. This message of Jonah's didn't pass that litmus test. It was a 1-point, 100% Law message: In 40 days Nineveh will be destroyed. There is no explanation or justification for this imminent demise (perhaps none was necessary for the hearers). There was no whimsical or insightful homiletic illustration (such as Nathan's story of the rich man taking the poor man's sheep when confronting David about adultery with Bathsheba). There was no proclamation of grace or hope or redemption. There was merely the coldly-stated matter of fact statement of a woeful end. I suppose it is most akin to the doctor saying "Your days are short. You best get your affairs in order."
But the people of Nineveh did more than divvy out their estates and write parting missives to their families spread far and wide. They proclaimed a fast. Everyone put on the clothes of mourning (sackcloth). They put on an attitude of at least desperation if not outright contrition. Everyone throughout the power structure.
The lectionary left verses 6-9 on the cutting room floor. I don't begin to understand this. This is not a lengthy reading and the epistle reading for this same Sunday is only 3 verses. I do not believe brevity was the goal. Perhaps it was distasteful to emphasize the king and his nobles declaring the fast. I don't know. I do find it powerful that not only the people but all of the animals (herd and flock) participated in the repentant act in ashes and sackcloth. No food or drink was to be theirs. All, people and animals, were to cry mightily to God.
What is most puzzling about leaving verse 9 outside of the assigned reading is we miss the intent of the fast. Perhaps God might relent if we do such a thing was the thinking. And God did. God changed God's mind. God turned in the other direction. God repented. God defied God's own words through the prophet Jonah. In Deuteronomy 18:20 that exposed Jonah to death since he spoke words on behalf of God that did not come to pass (there's some law for you). You can read on in Jonah if you are so inclined to see how Jonah responded to God's merciful turn of events.
Perhaps this text sets us well for Lent. Soon (February 18) we will corporately and individually repent and receive the mark of the ashes (the fiery remains of palms from triumphal entries past). We will commemorate for 40 days (not counting Sundays) between Ash Wednesday and Easter our brokenness and our need for God's mercy and grace. We know we have it in Jesus already but it helps us enter more fully into the good news of the empty tomb and our restoration when we have intentionally sought after God's mercy. We are the Ninevites and the dour Jonahs. Their stories are ours.
We don't know if our days are short or long. We really don't. So maybe we best get our affairs in order. What that means, primarily, to the Christian is that we draw near to God and lean hard on God's mercy--always making room for others who want to join the fast.
God, have mercy on us. Help us constantly cry out to you knowing that you are so much more willing to forgive than we are to cry out. Amen.
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