Friday, April 16, 2004
Christ is Risen!
Friday of Bright Week
4th of the Paschal Vigil: Jonah 3 Apostle: Philippians 2:5-1 Gospel: St. Luke 1:38-42; 11:27-28
Jonah 3:1-10 LXX, especially vs. 5: "And the men of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a
fast, and put on sackcloths, from the greatest of them to the least of them." The Book of Jonah is so terse that readers are
regularly forced to imagine much of the development from event to event. For instance, we are told nothing of Jonah's
prophecy, only that what he said was "according to the former preaching" to which God had directed him (vs. 2). Referring
back to the first Chapter, to discover what God's "former" instructions were, we find only God's command, "rise and go to
Nineveh, the great city, and preach in it; for the cry of its wickedness is come up to Me" (Jon. 1:2). Aside from these slight
clues, the passage only reports that the Prophet said, "Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jon. 3:4 LXX).
Such a clipped narrative enhances our appreciation of the response of the Ninevites: "the men of Nineveh believed God"
(vs. 5).
The account that follows reveals that the Ninevites response was quite genuine, for they manifested all the elements of true
repentance: they affirmed that God's judgment concerning their spiritual state was correct (vs. 5); cried for their sins (vs.
8), evinced true sorrow for their wrongs (vss. 5 -7), and effectively ended wrong doing, for "they turned every one from
their evil way" (vs. 8). They took full responsibility for "the iniquity that was in their hands" (vs. 8) and in no way
attributed their faults to God, but, rather, they gave themselves over to His will (vs. 9).
God, Who is not deceived by show, perceived that they had turned from their evil ways, and He stayed His hand from the
judgment for which the Ninevites had readied themselves.
Our knowledge of prevailing conditions in the Assyrian Empire support the reality of the kind of swift and genuine
repentance shown by the citizens and national leadership in Nineveh in response Jonah's announcement of the city's
imminent overthrow (vs. 4). The records disclose that the country's weakened military condition had recently been
exposed by the loss of the forts at Carchemish, Militene, and Commagene. On a day in June during this time, the Assyrian
records show that there was a total solar eclipse. Among the omen texts of Nineveh itself, it was said that following a solar
eclipse, "the King will die, rain from heaven will flood the land. There will be famine" [and] "a deity will strike the King
and fire consume the land."
Let us be attentive to what the Lord is teaching in this passage: the people of Nineveh did not believe Jonah; rather, they
took God at His word. The Prophet fulfilled his duty by going to the great city and declaring God's word to its pagan
people - as God instructed him - and the Ninevites believed God. There is no record of any discussion between the
Ninevites and Jonah; they believed God. Let us note carefully how they trusted in the word of God.
Remember: it is no accident that the Orthodox Christian life is characterized as a life of repentance. Even at Pascha, with
all the joy of the Feast, the Paschals still command us: "be illumined for the Feast, and embrace one another. Let us speak,
brothers, even unto those that hate us, and forgive all for the sake of the Resurrection." We are called away from every
unforgiving and "evil way, and from the iniquity" of our hands (vs. 8), just as were the Ninevites.
Should we be careless enough to think that God is impressed by the blazing solemnity of our celebration of Great and Holy
Pascha, and, thereby, permit ourselves not to forgive nor to put away our evil ways, we will be missing the message of
Jonah. Why did the Ninevites believe God? Because they knew that He saw into their hearts. Let us also repent and be
saved.
Make us worthy, O Master Who lovest mankind, to partake of Thy terrible Mysteries: unto remission of sins, unto
forgiveness and unto inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven.
