Epiphany 3B
January 21, 2024
Jonah 3:1-6, 10
INTRODUCTION
Today we continue hearing some call stories: Mark’s version of the calling of the first disciples, and a part of the Jonah story. A note on Jonah: it starts off saying, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.” You probably remember what happened the first time? God called and Jonah fled, heading the exact opposite direction toward Tarshish and had a bit of a mishap with a large fish: namely, he got swallowed, then prayed in the fish’s belly for three days, and has just now been spewed up on the beach. Now, reeking of fish gut, he heads off to carry out his duty, prophesying to Nineveh. Nineveh, you should know, is the capital of Assyria, Israel’s principal enemy du jour. They are bad news bears, so this is no benign request. I probably would have run in the opposite direction, too. Yet Jonah, even smelling as he does, preaches a short but effective sermon, and Nineveh is convinced, and everyone – people and animals alike – put on sackcloth, the traditional garment of repentance, and God proves the breadth of his mercy.
Speaking of smelling like fish – God must have a thing for fish gut smell, because Jesus also calls fisherman as his first disciples in today’s story from Mark. (Not for nothing, a fish, not a cross, was the earliest symbol of Christianity, so, it’s a thing.) What you should be aware of, hearing this story, is that it is about ordinary people, in an ordinary and unimportant place, doing ordinary jobs, yet called to a mission that would change the world. Pretty cool how God does that.
As you listen, keep in mind how God uses ordinary, flawed humans (and fish!) to bring about his purpose – so what is to keep God from using any of us? Let’s listen…
[READ]
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| Jonah, by John August Swanson, https://www.johnaugustswanson.com/ |
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
I am sometimes asked what my favorite book of the Bible is. And you know what? I think it might be Jonah. I love this story. It just so happens that it was also our reading for our Bible Huddles this week – not just this snippet, but the whole thing – so I had a chance to really dive deep into it (pun intended). I’m guessing many of you are familiar with the whale part (correction: it was a big fish, not a whale), and now you’ve heard the prophecy part, but allow me to fill you in on the rest of the story:
Right off the bat, the word of the Lord comes to Jonah. “Arise!” God says, “and go to Ninevah, that great city [great here meaning large, not good], and cry out against it, for their wickedness has come before me.” Nineveh is the capital of their foremost enemy, Assyria. Prophets are seldom received warmly, but this is a particularly challenging situation. So, like any rational person, Jonah says, “No thanks!” and just for good measure, he heads to the nearest port and hops a boat heading to Tarshish, the exact opposite direction from Nineveh. This is the denying-est of all denials of a call from God.
In response, God decides to have some fun with Jonah. He sends a storm upon his boat. The sailors desperately start tossing cargo off the boat in hopes of saving themselves. They cast lots and determine that Jonah is the cause of this calamity, and ask him, “What gives, dude? What did you do?” Jonah may be a coward, but he’s no fool. He says, “Uh, yeah, about that… I think you should probably toss me overboard!” Which they do, rather reluctantly, and the sea immediately stops raging.
Meanwhile, God provides a big fish to swallow Jonah up and keep him safe, and he spends the next three days and three nights in its belly, praying to God for deliverance. God and the fish have a chat, and the fish subsequently spews Jonah out on the beach, granting Jonah a sort of second birth, a new life, another chance.
This is where today’s reading picks up. God tells Jonah again to go talk to the Ninevites. This time Jonah figures he’d better do it, but he still refuses to give it his all. He walks 1/3 of the way into the city, stops in a random spot, and to whomever happens to be nearby, he offers the shortest sermon ever preached: “Forty more days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” If there was a bare minimum for giving a prophecy, this is it. Then he leaves and heads up to a nearby hill to watch and see how this will play out.
Shockingly, the people believe Jonah! They all put on sackcloth, and repent. Word of this strange man dripping with fish guts gets to the king of Nineveh, and he also declares a city-wide moment of repentance: everyone shall fast, and wear sackcloth – even the animals! “Who knows?” he says. “Maybe God will have mercy on us!”
Then the big plot twist: God does change his mind! The Ninevites receive mercy and remain safe. And Jonah? Is not impressed. “See, God?” he whines. “I just knew you would do this. I knew you would be all merciful and compassionate and not punish them like they deserve.” This, he says, is why he had fled to Tarshish. “What’s the point, anyway?” he says. God plays with him a little more, first giving Jonah a bush to shade him, then destroying it by means of a worm, and when Jonah gets angsty about that (“Angry enough to die!” he declares), God says, “You’re angry about the bush? You had it for just one day! Shouldn’t I then be concerned about this huge city full of people and animals?”
The story ends there, with a question. I love that, because it reminds us of how much we don’t know, and invites so many of our own questions. Here are some that come to mind:
• How far does God’s mercy extend – even to our enemies? How do I feel about God being merciful on people I think don’t deserve it?
• When has God called me to something I didn’t want to do, and I resisted by running in the opposite direction, either figuratively or literally?
• When has following my own whims instead of God’s landed me in a metaphorical fish’s belly? When have I then been spewed out, given another chance and a rebirth?
One of the brilliant things about Jonah’s story is that it is so colorful, fun, and funny, but also so non-specific as to be universal – it is applicable to so many different situations we face, whether we are grappling with how to deal with evil, or discerning (and questioning) God’s call to us.
Contrast this fish story with the other fish story we hear today: Jesus calling the first disciples. Here, Jesus comes to a bunch of nobodies, living in a backwater town, and issues a strange call: “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And without knowing more than that, Mark tells us that these guys immediately dropped their nets and followed Jesus. Their faithfulness and trust is inspiring!... but difficult to relate to. Jonah’s story resonates much more with my own experience. You know what I said the first time someone suggested I go to seminary. “Hah! No.” And when someone asked if I would be interested in leaving a call a loved to interview at this great church in Pittsford? “No.” Obviously in both cases, I came around, and am so happy I did (unlike Jonah, I guess!).
I suspect my experience isn’t uncommon! God does often call us to things that scare us, or that we don’t think we can do, or don’t think we can do well enough. And so, we may ignore the call, or, like Jonah, we may run away from it, or do it half-heartedly, or reluctantly, or resentfully. But God has a way, doesn’t he, of getting us back on track, like he does with Jonah?
Today after worship is our annual meeting. As usual, we will hear about some of the wonderful ways St. Paul’s has already answered God’s call over the past year. And we truly have been faithful and generous – there is much to celebrate! We will also have a chance to dream and explore about some of the new ways God is calling us. As we work through all of this together as a congregation, today but even more so in the following months, I suspect there will be some “fishers of people” moments, when we all immediately and collectively drop our nets and follow Jesus into what is unknown but exciting and transformational. And there will likely also be some Jonah moments, when we are reluctant, cautious, unsure, doubtful, skeptical. I hope we don’t end up in any fish bellies, but if we do, I trust we will repent as necessary, pray heartily as Jonah did, and ultimately be delivered to the right shore, even if we come out a little smelly!
Whatever happens in the next year of our ministry together, one thing I am sure of: that just like both Jonah and the disciples, God will be with us each step of the way, calling us toward new life, and promising us mercy and compassion. Because that is what God does for all of God’s beloved people – whether Ninevite, reluctant prophet, or fisher of people.
Let us pray… God of the sea, God of the fish, God of all people: sometimes you call us to things that excite, and sometimes to things that terrify us. Whatever the call, grant us open ears and hearts, ready to hear that call and respond faithfully. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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