Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
Psychologists tell us that the religious imagery of childhood powerfully influences and shapes our religious sensitivities in adulthood. I remember vividly receiving a colorfully illustrated Bible stories book when I was a child. I loved it, particularly the story of Jonah and the whale – even though the scriptures don’t actually name the ‘big fish!’ That story and the image associated with it have stayed with me all these years.
The true meaning of this story, sadly, can be missed with our obsession with the mechanics of how in the world Jonah survived in the stomach of the great fish! The Ninevites were gentiles, not part of the Mosaic covenant. It was extraordinary that Jonah would be sent to preach a word of repentance to these individuals who were supposedly outside of the ambit of that special relationship that the Lord had forged with his chosen people. The shocking truth of this story is quite simply that the ambit of God’s unfailing love and mercy is much bigger than what we so often think. That message is as powerful today in the face of the human tendency to exclusion rather than inclusion. As we continue our Lenten journey, may we never forget that there is indeed a wideness in God’s mercy.