A Moral Tale

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.” (Luke 11:29-32)

According to The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler (2020), “Like the fables of Aesop and many of the parables of Jesus, the story of Jonah gives us a lesson that we do not want to hear, but need to hear.  The Book of Jonah is a moral tale: provocative, entertaining, and open to several interpretations, most of which interrogate our sense of justice, remind us of the importance of repentance, proclaim the graciousness of God, affirm the potential morality of sinners, and promote the value of empathy.  It comes to mean, especially in Christian contexts, an assurance of resurrection and final judgement and a foreshadowing of the mission to the gentiles.  Given today’s world where stereotyping, nationalism, threats of violent destruction, and a decided lack of humor mark our culture, it is especially important to read Jonah and find what meaning it still has."

Let’s heed the wisdom of Solomon and be instructed by the moral tale provided in the Book of Jonah.

Deacon David Pierce