REPENT, AND BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS

III SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Jonah 3:1-5,10

The story of Jonah trying to run away from God is well known. He was called and ordered by God to go to Nineveh, but he did not agree with the mission entrusted to him. Before such an attitude, we may ask what kind of prophet was he. Indeed, he does not fit the profile of a prophet. He heard the call and he understood the mission given to him, but he decided to ignore that call and go as far away as possible from Nineveh. Jonah was forced to realise that it is impossible to run away from God and that we cannot impose our ways on him. In the end, God’s will prevails. 

We may ask: Why such a strange attitude from Jonah? Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, that had destroyed the kingdom of Israel in the North and had tried to conquer Jerusalem in the South. Following their policy on the conquered lands, they took most of the population into captivity. Thus, Nineveh represented the enemy intent on eradicating the people of Israel from their homeland. They were evil people who profited from exploitation and oppression. Nineveh represents a Godless society which has become a disordered society, dominated by the lust for pleasure, the fight for power and the ambition for wealth. In the end, human rights are despised and human dignity is trampled upon. A society that ignores God’s commandments is on the way to becoming less and less human. The situation in Nineveh leads us to look at our modern society, which has rejected God and turned its back on the great values of truth, justice and uprightness, essential for us to build a world of peace. A society that follows such a path is on the way to annihilation. And God sent Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh of what would happen to them. Jonah was not pleased since he thought that the inhabitants of Nineveh did not desire God’s care, compassion and mercy. He wanted their punishment, not their salvation. However, God’s ways are different from our ways and he judges lovingly. He does not feel pleasure in the destruction of the sinner and he waits patiently for his conversion. The warning was serious, but its purpose was not condemnation but salvation. And this salvation is offered to all peoples, even to those who try to live without God. God gives an opportunity to all, without exception.

In the end, Jonah had to go and carry out his mission because it is impossible to run away from God. The people of Nineveh heard the message, were touched by it, recognised their sins, made penance and turned back to God. And God was merciful to them and withdrew the punishment announced to them. We are called upon to behave like the people of Nineveh.

In the Gospel, Mark presents the message of Jesus’ first preaching: “Repent, and believe the Good News.” That is the way to enter the Kingdom of God. We must repent from our sins and believe in Jesus Christ, the Saviour who came to reconcile us with God.

Jesus goes on calling disciples to send them with the mission to announce the Good News to all peoples of the world. May we answer as Andrew and Simon, James and John did.