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Love Thy Neighbor

March 12, 2025

Jonah 3:1-10 | Luke 11:29-32 | Psalm 51:11-18

It’s hard not to think of whales as soon as you see Jonah’s name, even though today’s lesson doesn’t include that story. The dramatic imagery of a man being swallowed whole and then spit out several days later is difficult to erase from our minds. But it’s important to recall why Jonah found himself thrown overboard in a terrible storm – he was running from a task God had asked him to do.

Nineveh was a powerful Assyrian city with all the usual sins and temptations associated with city life. And the Assyrians had built an empire by brutalizing others, including the Israelites. When God asked Jonah to warn the Ninevites of the city’s impending destruction he couldn’t bear to think of saving them and headed in the opposite direction, with terrifying consequences. Today’s lesson begins with God repeating his request to Jonah, “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” This time Jonah did as he was asked. Once he arrived, he began proclaiming, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”  And miraculously his message is both heard and promptly acted on:

And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, covered himself with a sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles……All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; He may change from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”

Sure enough, God did not destroy the city. Despite the short, stark message from an unwilling prophet, on the very first day of what should have been a three-day sojourn, the king and citizens of Nineveh listened and acted. They were open to the word of God, and God showed them grace.

As we move through Lent towards Easter, we should embrace the messages in this lesson. Don’t shy away from what God asks of us, and don’t be as unforgiving as Jonah. This is hard work – I know I have to ask God for help with this almost every time I read or listen to the news these days. But do we want a God of judgement and anger or one that rejoices when His message is heard and acted on? God doesn’t want to judge or destroy and we shouldn’t either. God shows grace and mercy in forgiving both Jonah and the Ninevites. May we all be open to God’s words and willing messengers to others, even those we deem unworthy. Remember that God finds all of us worthy.

Mallory Walsh