The book of Jonah is not history, nor is it a fish tale. The prophetic book is best viewed as a parable. It is a story of God’s justice but even more of God’s mercy. As we hear in today’s first reading, what “greatly displeased Jonah” was that God was showing this mercy to the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, the enemy of Israel. The story is full of irony.
The book begins with the call of Jonah the prophet to announce God’s judgement: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah…Set out for the great city of Nineveh and preach against it; for their wickedness has come before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2). Instead of heading east to preach to Nineveh Jonah “made ready to flee to Tarshish, away from the Lord.” Jonah “turns” away from the Lord. Chapter 2 begins with a same call to Jonah and this time he heads east and begins preaching in Nineveh. When the people of Nineveh hear the Lord’s message they repent, they “turn” to the Lord: “When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.” (Jonah 3:10). God “repents” or “turned away” from the “evil he had threatened” against Nineveh.
Jonah is greatly displeased at this turn of events! His view was to “love your neighbor” and hate your enemy. This view was not God’s view. The parable or story ends with God’s rebuke of Jonah.
“Then the Lord said, “You are concerned over the gourd plant which cost you no effort and which you did not grow; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. And should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals?” (Jonah 10-11).
The Book of Jonah enshrines the message that Jesus will teach in his Sermon on the Mount:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:43-45).
Image: “Big Ugly Fish” by DonkerDink on Flickr is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED.