Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, ‘This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise at the judgement with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!

There’s much that is mysterious about the story of Jonah. It’s not at all clear why God chose him or sent him to prophesy in Nineveh. It’s much clearer why he’d want to escape the mission, so improbable did it seem. The response of the Ninevites and their king is also mysterious. Why do they respond so dramatically to the word spoken by the outsider Jonah? They recognise his word as God’s word: but why? It would’ve made more sense to hustle him out of town.

The reaction to Jesus is much less enthusiastic. His hearers demand a sign to back up what he says. They want certainty, not faith. But all he promises is the sign of Jonah – the sign of the unlikely prophet who drew an immediate and enthusiastic response from the Ninevites. But in Jesus, there’s something greater than Jonah. Jonah speaks the word of God calling to repentance; Jesus is the word of God, embodying the mercy which greets our repentance.