Jonah was a witness for the people of Nineveh. He spoke to them without self-interest. He gave them undiluted truth about the possible consequences of their choices.
"Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed,"
Let us be cut to the heart by preaching greater than that of Jonah. The preaching of Jonah moved a whole nation to repentance.
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.
The preaching of Jesus is purely selfless. He gives full knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God entirely out of love for us. He is born into this world, not of necessity, but for us. He does, not because he must, but because he wills it out of love for us. Solomon's words helped Israel to prosper and people to live in harmony. Jesus words give us wealth beyond this age and put us in right relationship with his Father. Let us recognize in him the one who has greater wisdom than Solomon.
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.
We're always suspicious of calls to repentance. But there is no ulterior motive here for Jesus. When he calls us to choices that seem difficult we can be assured that he does so out of love for us. However much repentance meant life for Nineveh, however much heeding the wisdom of Solomon meant prosperity for Israel, how much more does heeding the word of Jesus mean life for us.
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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