III SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Jonah 3:1-5,10
Jonah is a small but extraordinary book, telling us the story of a prophet who thought he knew better than God. Unhappy with the mission entrusted to him, he ran away from God and went as far away as he could from the people whom he had been sent to. He wanted to have his own way and preach his own message. In the end, unable to run away from God, Jonah looks like a silly prophet, being forced to carry out God’s will. It seems that he did not trust God with his own destiny. Instead, he preferred to be in charge and choose his own path. But he had no alternative, being led to realize that God’s ways are the way, in spite of our own twists.
We may ask the reason why Jonah did not accept willingly the mission entrusted to him. He was sent to Nineveh, which was the capital city of Assyria, the worst enemy of the people of Israel. They had conquered the Kingdom of the North, taking most of the population as prisoners of war, causing the destruction of that kingdom and the disappearance of most of the tribes of Israel. For the people of Israel, the Assyrians deserved only contempt, and God should curse and punish them if he was truly the protector and defender of Israel. How could God send a prophet to the enemies of his people? Certainly, Jonah must have feared for his life.
This book is not a historical book. In fact, it is a kind of novel with a prophetic message. When it was written, Nineveh did not exist anymore. The Assyrian Empire was destroyed by the Babylonians and Nineveh was sacked (612 BC). Most experts think that the book was written after the exile when the people who came back to the land of Israel were driven by a strong nationalism. The book, being prophetic, questions that prevailing culture in the Jewish society and announces God’s message - a universal message of salvation, which includes even those who are seen as enemies.
A nationalist and chauvinist attitude transforms a society into a ghetto, turning into oneself, excluding the others and seeing them as a threat to the survival of the community and of the nation. Chauvinism leads to assert ourselves against the others, who are seen as enemies. They are demonised, despised and vilified, while we are the only saints. We exalt our small victories and turn them into extraordinary and glorious deeds. Whenever there is an exaggerated nationalism, we are blinded to the values, deeds and achievements of others; we affirm ourselves as holy and perfect and turn others into sinners and devils. That was the situation with the people of Israel. As a small people, threatened by all sides, they affirm themselves as the chosen and the beloved of God, seeing the others as the enemies of God, just because they are their enemies. It is no surprise that the Scriptures, portraying the life and history of the people of Israel, are filled with pages full of nationalistic attitudes. That’s why Jonah cannot understand that God sends him to preach to the enemies of Israel. But he cannot thwart God’s plans and God loves all peoples and cares for their salvation. If Israel was chosen, it was for the purpose of being a witness of God’s love, compassion and mercy. In the end, in spite of all his complains, Jonah understood that God is merciful to all who turn to him in search of salvation.
Enjoy the story of Jonah by this little girl.
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