WEDNESDAY, February 24, 2010 - FIRST WEEK IN LENT

JONAH 3:1-10

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Set out for the great city of  Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’S bidding. Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it.  Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,” When the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.
    

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes. Then he had this proclaimed throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his nobles: “Neither man nor beast, neither cattle nor sheep, shall taste anything; they shall not eat, nor shall they drink water. Man and beast shall be covered with sackcloth and call loudly to God; every man shall turn from his evil way and from the violence he has in hand. Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath, so that we shall not perish.” When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
        

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LUKE 11:29-32   

While the crowds pressed around Jesus, he began to speak to them in these words: "This is an evil age.  It seeks a sign.  But no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.  Just as Jonah was a sign for the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign for the present age.  The queen of the South will rise at the judgment along with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them.  She came from the farthest corner of the world to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, but you have a greater than Solomon here.  At the judgment, the citizen's of Nineveh will rise along with the present generation, and they will condemn it.  For at the preaching of Jonah they reformed, but you have a greater than Jonah here."

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How often have you heard people say that they are looking for a sign from God before making an important decision?  Perhaps you have asked for a sign from God.  Jesus calls his present age an evil age because they ask for signs.  We need to be clear about what Jesus is saying here.  He is not saying that looking for a sign is always evil.  What he is saying is that the people want to be wowed.  They wanted to see some miracle before they would believe that Jesus is the messiah, before they would heed his admonition to repent.  If they had been open to God's love they would have recognized Jesus without a sign. 

Jesus uses interesting references to judge the lack of faith on the part of his contemporaries.  He says that the Queen of the South will rise up in judgment against them.  She sought out Solomon because she wanted to experience his wisdom.  She needed no sign to direct her.  Jesus also says that the inhabitants of ancient Nineveh will rise up in judgment.  When Jonah preached repentance to the Ninevites they asked for no sign, they simply repented.  Jesus is far greater a sign than Solomon or Jonah. 

We miss the signs God gives us because we are looking for miraculous signs.  Sometimes it's as simple as the peace we feel about a decision, or a simple word from someone we know.  Sometimes we need to step out in faith and trust.  Most often, however, we find our answer in the Scriptures or in Church teaching.  Often, for me, in my homily preparations I discover a "sign" about something I have been mulling over.  The sign is often just following the teachings of Jesus.  We should need no more sign than that most of the time.  We can paralyze ourselves into non-action by always waiting for a sign.  God gave us our intelligence and he expects us to use it.  Sometimes he wants us to step out in faith, even make a mistake.  Very rarely should we expect a miraculous sign.

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Heavenly Father, Jesus, your Son, is the perfect sign for us.  He died for our sins and forgave his executioners.  Help me to live in faith and to act in faith.  Be with me always as I journey to your glory.