DAILY HOMILIES #Nineveh

Today’s first reading warns against the “Jonah complex”—the reluctance, prejudice, or anger that can make us unwilling to share the Good News with certain groups or “enemies.” We must have God’s heart for the whole world. Similarly, Today’s responsorial psalm provides the ultimate goal of the mission, which is to ensure that the entire earth sees and praises God for His saving work.

The people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, yet many who heard Jesus preach refused to repent. Can we say Jonah preached better than Jesus? No way. The problem is not Jesus but the listeners. If we decide to harden our hearts after hearing from God, then we deserve the consequences of our actions.

demons are like strong men fully armed, but God is stronger. Do not be deceived into thinking that demons do not exist. It is foolish to deny the power and workings of demons. However, there is no need to fear them when we know that “He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world.” (Cf. 1 John 4:4). To be scared of demons is to behave as one who does not know God. Listen to what Jesus has to say to such persons: “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26)

Jonah was not happy that the tree which gave him shade at night would suddenly wither. Little did he know that this was precisely what he wished for the people of Nineveh. Jonah wanted justice served. Jonah failed to realise that justice can also mean offering the sinner a second chance because they still have something good in them. That tree may have committed many atrocities, but to Jonah, the tree was needed to give him shade. Think about this: those we condemn as the worst of sinners still have some good in them.

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it.” (Jonah 3:10). Repentance moves God. Just as God changed His mind towards the Ninevites, repentance from sin saves us from the calamities our sins attract.

Jonah’s experience, including how his ship almost sank and how he had to spend three days inside the belly of a great fish, is a classic example of what we suffer when we live only for ourselves. In the Gospel passage, Jesus teaches us to be kind and generous to everyone, regardless of their background or identity. He offers us a universal definition of neighbour that is not restricted by race, colour, religion, or physical borders.

Jonah did not work miracles. Like the crowd in our Gospel passage, many Christians today have reduced their worship of God to a quest for miracles. Jesus referred to such persons as an “evil generation.” Those looking for miracles are only interested in “using” God. Should they get the miracles they seek, it never translates to repentance.

Even though Jesus did not work any miracle, he promised them the greatest miracle of all time – the sign of Jonah. Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary, and on the third day, He rose again. This is the miracle of all miracles, the greatest sign that God took our human nature and lived among us. Anyone still doubting if Jesus is God is on their own.

Noah preached repentance for one hundred years; only his immediate family agreed to enter the Ark, but Jonah preached for three days, and he succeeded in bringing a whole nation to its knees. What was special about Jonah’s preaching, and why was it extremely effective?

The crowd asked Jesus for a sign, but Jesus called them an evil generation. Why? It is evil to put God to the test. It is evil to ask God to prove Himself. If you trust God, you will not demand for signs. Jesus said: “For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation.” (Luke 11:29-30). The death and resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate miracle. If this sign does not convince you, nothing else can convince us.

Forgiveness is only sweet when you are the one in need of it. It never ceases to amaze me how I expect others to tolerate, understand, and forgive me when I sin, yet I am mad at people who tolerate, put up with, and forgive others. Why am I angry with someone for forgiving, yet if I were the one being forgiven, I would not be angry?

You might ask: “Why can’t I sit in my room and beg for God’s forgiveness?” If we want to deal with sin, we must be willing to talk about it to others. The people of Nineveh did not sit in their rooms to ask for God’s forgiveness. They publicly humiliated themselves and proclaimed a fast from the greatest to the least.