october 16 2006

 

October 16 2006

Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31–5:1 Brothers and sisters: It is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the freeborn woman. The son of the slave woman was born naturally, the son of the freeborn through a promise. Now this is an allegory. These women represent two covenants. One was from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. But the Jerusalem above is freeborn, and she is our mother. For it is written: Rejoice, you barren one who bore no children; break forth and shout, you who were not in labor; for more numerous are the children of the deserted one than of her who has a husband. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are children not of the slave woman but of the freeborn woman. For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7
R. (see 2) Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,praise the name of the LORD.Blessed be the name of the LORDboth now and forever.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.
From the rising to the setting of the sun is the name of the LORD to be praised. High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.
Who is like the LORD, our God,who looks upon the heavens and the earth below? He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

Lk 11:29-32 While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,“This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 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 earthto hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

The story of Hagar and Sarai is the the story of Isaac and Ishmael and the story of the slave and the freeborn. Christ sets us free so that there are no distinctions of slave and free. Jesus teaches that the people who are seeking a sign will only have the sign of Jonas. I have read this is the sign that the Early Christians marked catacombs with. The gospel says there is something greater than Jonah here. I think that the reference is to Jesus as being a greater prophet than Jonah and the most important sign of faith to the people.
Jonah is a story that has many connections to other ancient stories including those of the Babylonians. Jonah was sent on a mission that he tried to avoid but was redirected from his ship journey by a storm and being swallowed by a whale. His time inside the whale foretells the time of Jesus after the crucifixion before the resurrection.
It is a reminder to me that the prophet is at times sent to lands that they do not wish to go and given tasks and missions that they would rather not have from God. Jonah tried to avoid the mission that God was sending him on and tried to redirect his direction and avoid what God was calling him to do.
I have been given some callings and journeys that my first reaction is this the most difficult way, perhaps I should redirect this journey. The story of Jonas reminds me to not try to pick and chose my mission from God but accept the path and fulfill what I am asked to do. God often does not pick the easiest path for me for the journey but my heart is willing and able and I am filled with gratefulness that God has chosen a journey, a mission and a path for me.
There will be Ninevites and their comparable groups in every generation some will listen and turn to God and some will not. It is only for me to follow what God has called me to and it is the free will of others to decide to listen or not to God. I pray this morning that my life might make a difference in other persons lives and that I may do good in the world today in the name of the Lord and see Christ in others and be Christ to all who I encounter this day.