The Gospel of Luke and The Book of Jonah
(Lesson 6 – Mar 18, 2025)
Disobedience - the Call to Mercy
The Book of Jonah, a story of a prophet's disobedience as
a “drama of Israel”
Prophesied during the time of Jeroboam II, demanded to
“restore Israel’s borders (2 King 14:25)
The ancient city of Nineveh is today the city of Mosul,
Iraq. Tarshish is uncertain—it could be Spain, Lebanon, or the Red Sea. Jonah
tries to use his theology and his spirituality. The symbolism of both the first and Second Adam.
1:2-3 “Arise, go to Nineveh… But Jonah rose up to
flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship
going to Tarshish
V. 4: The LORD sent out a great wind into the sea…the ship was likely to be
broken.
V. 5 Jonah
had gone down into the inner parts of the ship, and he lay and was fast asleep.
V. 9: “I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who has made the
sea and the dry land.”
V. 12: 'Take me up and cast me forth into the sea. So shall the
sea be calm unto you.
V.15: They took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea, and the sea ceased
from her raging
V.17: The LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.
And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
2.1: Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly.
2.10: And the LORD spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out
Jonah upon the dry land
3.4: And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey,
and he cried and said, 'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.'
3.7: 'Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste
anything; let them not feed, nor drink water.
3.10: And God saw their works, that they turned from their
evil way. And God repented of the evil that He had said that He would do unto
them, and He did it not.
4.2: I fled before
unto Tarshish; for I knew that Thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to
anger and of great kindness, and repents of the evil.
4.4: Then said the LORD, 'Doest thou well to be angry?'
4.6: And the LORD God
prepared a gourd and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow
over his head to deliver him from his grief. So, Jonah was exceedingly glad for
the gourd.
4.7: But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote
the gourd so that it withered.
4.8: It is better for me to
die than to live.'
4.11: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein
are more than six thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand
and their left hand, and also many cattle?'
Jonah's Disobedience and the Call to Mercy
Jonah’s
Resistance: Jonah initially disobeyed God's command to prophesy
against the city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, a major enemy
of Israel.
Jonah’s
Perspective: Jonah’s resistance stems from his own
nationalistic biases and his desire for God to punish his enemies, rather than
show them mercy.
God's
Universal Love and compassion desire for the salvation of
all people, even enemies.
The Sea and the Fish symbolize his descent into a place of despair and isolation.
Jonah's
Repentance in the belly of the fish seeking mercy, not entirely genuine repentance. It was the place
of the Leviathan (Job 3:8; 41; Psa. 74:14; Ps. 104:26; Is. 27:1), as well as
the sea monster Rahab (Job 26:12; Ps. 89:10; Is. 30:7; 51:9).
Upon hearing Jonah's message, repent and God spares the
city, Nineveh's Repentance further highlights God's mercy and the potential for
transformation.
Jonah is
Frustrated by God's mercy, which he
sees as a betrayal of his own expectations for justice.
Thematic Connections to Israel: The story of Jonah can be seen as a reflection of
Israel's own history of disobedience and the challenges of embracing God's
universal love.
Nationalism vs.
Universalism: Jonah's story forces the reader to confront
the tension between nationalistic pride and the
call to embrace a broader vision of God's love for all people.
The Importance of Repentance: Jonah's story underscores the importance of repentance and the
transformative power of turning to God, even in the face of personal hardship
or conflict.
“O sleeper? arise, call
upon thy God” (Jonah 1:6)
In the Gospel of Luke Jonah is referenced 4 times in 3
verses
11:29 'This is an evil generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it
will be given is the sign of Jonah ...'
11:30 For Jonah became a sign to the
people of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be a sign to this generation.
11:32 On judgment day the men of
Nineveh will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because
when Jonah preached they repented, and look, there is something greater than
Jonah here.
The Gospel of Luke
emphasizes God's profound love and mercy for sinners particularly highlighted
in parables like the lost sheep, lost coin, and the prodigal son.
Jesus, Friend of Sinners (Lk 5:27-32): Luke’s Gospel consistently portrays Jesus as associating with and eating
with tax collectors and “sinners”.
Parables of Repentance (Lk 15): The famous parables of the lost sheep,
lost coin, and the prodigal son are central to understanding God’s love for
sinners.
Lost Sheep (15: 4-7): The shepherd
leaves 99 sheep to search for the one lost sheep, illustrating God's pursuit of
individuals who have strayed.
Lost Coin (15:8-10): A woman searches
diligently for a lost coin, representing God's tireless search for the lost.
Prodigal Son (15:11-32): The father's unconditional love and joyous welcome of his repentant son,
even after his mistakes, epitomizes God's grace and mercy.
Zacchaeus' Transformation
(Lk 19:1-10): The story of Zacchaeus, a tax
collector who repents after encountering Jesus, demonstrates God's willingness
to forgive and transform even the most notorious sinners.
Love for Enemies: Jesus teaches his
followers to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, and bless
those who curse them (Lk 6:27-36), reflecting
God's universal and unconditional love.
God's Mercy: Jesus emphasizes the
importance of being merciful, just as God is merciful (Lk
6:36), highlighting the need for compassion and forgiveness.
Jesus' Mission: Luke emphasizes that
Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10),
further solidifying the message of God's love for sinners.
The
Sacrament of Reconciliation and Marriage
Restoration of familial Relationships
Marriage: God’s Great Plan “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue
it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air
and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Gen 1:28)
Repentance
and the Restoration of Married Life: Willed by God in the very act of creation, marriage and the family are
interiorly ordained to fulfillment in Christ and have need of his graces in
order to be healed from the wounds of sin and restored to their “beginning” (Role of Christian Family in
the Modern World, n. 3) JP II.
“The sacrament of marriage
is the specific source and original means of sanctification for Christian
married couples and families” (Role of the Christian Family, n. 56) JP II.
Responsibilities
in God’s call to holiness: The Responsibilities are
fourfold in nature: 1) to God; 2) to spouse; 3) to children; 4) to society at
large.
(1) Responsibilities to God: Have I gone to Mass every
Sunday? Have I read the Bible? Have I told God that I want to love him with my
whole heart, mind and strength? Do I hold any resentments toward God? Have I
been financially generous to the Church? Have I participated in parish or
religious activities?
(2) Responsibilities to my spouse: Have I cared for my spouse? Have I told my spouse that I love him or her?
Have I allowed resentments and bitterness toward my spouse to take root in my
mind? Have I nurtured these? Have I forgiven my spouse for the wrongs he or she
has committed against me? Have I had an abortion or encouraged others to have
one? Have I misused alcohol or drugs?
(3) Responsibilities to children: Have I cared for the spiritual needs of my children? Have I prayed with them? Have I disciplined
them when necessary? Have I talked with them to find out their problems,
concerns and fears? Have I been impatient and frustrated with them? Have I been
of one heart and mind with my spouse in the upbringing of the children?
(4) Responsibilities to society: Have I been a Christian witness to those with whom I work or associate? Have
I allowed the Gospel to influence my political and social opinions? Have I
fostered or nurtured hatred toward my “political” enemies, either local,
national or international? Have I been prejudiced toward others because of
race, color, religion or social status?
“Have mercy on me, O God….Wash away all my iniquity and
cleanse me from my sin” (Ps 51: 1-2)
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