A Greater-than-Jonah is Here (Wednesday, Lent 1)

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After Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish (cf. Jonah 1:17), God COMMANDED him for the second time to go and preach a message of repentance to the people of Nineveh (cf. Jonah 3:2).


When COMMANDS are given, they convey a sense of urgency, emergency and danger: “danger” because if nothing is done about whatever has been commanded, something disastrous may happen. A teacher commands a student to study or else he/she will fail. A mother gently commands the child to move away from fire or else he/she will get burnt; and so on.


What was even so special about the city of Nineveh that God should be concerned about it in the first place? Nothing except the fact that there were human beings there who ought to be saved. Our souls are too precious to God that He can do anything within His power to save us, even if it means COMMANDING a “Jonah” a million times to attend to our souls.


In the 5th and 10th verses of Jonah Chapter 3, the outcome of Jonah’s preaching is that: “The people of Nineveh believed God and repented; and God repented of the evil which He said He would do to them”. This is enough for us to learn as the Psalmist tells us that “God does not spurn a broken and humbled heart” (Ps 51:17b).

 

God wants us to return to Him with all our heart, for He is gracious and merciful” (Joel 2:12-13). If ordinary Jonah (who was not even perfect) could preach to a great city of Nineveh and they repented, why won’t we listen to Jesus (our perfect and compassionate Savior) who is far greater than Jonah (cf. Lk 9:32) as He speaks to us in the scriptures and events of life to return to God? 


God is not a bully! He is a loving and compassionate Father. I refuse to think and believe that God is waiting for us with a whip to lash us to death because of our sins. I rather see Him as a Compassionate Father, waiting for us with the best of robes and meals as the forgiving father waited for his prodigal child (cf. Luke 15). During this season of Lent, let us strive to return to God WHOLEHEARTEDLY as the people of Nineveh did when Jonah preached to them.  


Prayer:

Jesus, your love for me is so great that you suffered and died for my sake. Through Your Sorrowful Passion may I return to you repentant, remorseful and sorry for my sins, Amen!


Have a fruitful Lenten Journey!



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