[ Today's Readings ]
This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
The prophet himself is the sign. To demand a sign of Jesus is to set him alongside all of the other prophets, teachers, and wise men of history and subject him to comparison by our own criteria. But "there is something greater than Solomon here" and "there is something greater than Jonah here."
Do we see the sign before us? Jesus and his preaching are utterly unlike anyone else in history. All others point away from themselves to a path, to a teaching, to another. Jesus is the path, he is the truth, he is the One. We can't use standards designed for others to judge Jesus. We cannot stand in judgment before him at all. Rather we recognize him and allow ourselves to be judged by him. We hear him and believe.
when the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
The people of Nineveh get it without a special sign. How much more should we then, to whom Jesus has been revealed, turn to God with all that we have and all that we are? We know that if we do turn to him he will save us. We are not like the king of Nineveh who repents just in case, who knows, maybe it works. We know for sure Jesus meets every penitent heart with mercy and love.
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.
We know that Jesus does not spurn a humbled and contrite heart. He himself inspires the contrition in us. He himself recreates our hearts in response.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
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