Often you find yourself repeating the same words to the same person or persons. This can be frustrating so, I must continually remind myself to lean towards what was attributed to former Dallas Cowboy's coach, Chan Gailey, "If you have told the team something 500 times, yet they still do not get it, then plan on 501."
The word of the Lord is effective, and that is powerful. Such words carry news about the end and the beginning. The prophet Jonah walks for three days repeating, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." The people suddenly feel it, fear it, "the appointed time has grown short," for "the present form of this world is passing away." They drop what they're doing, they turn from their evil ways, they change. G_d changes too, casting aside the calamity he would have brought upon them. Our stories, despite all their drama, finds repose in the unchanging mercy of G_d towards all creation. To be sure, G_d regrets and condemns human depravity, but cannot hate what he has made, it is his Creation.
Jonah was the poster child of how to do it right. He offered himself as a sacrifice to help the undeserving, and received an unusual form of protection for his efforts. Tossed into the sea to save his shipmates, G_d directs a "big fish" to protect Jonah, later G_d has the fish return him to dry land. Even later G_d directs Jonah to "again" call the wicked people of Nineveh to repent under threat of a calamitous punishment. The Ninevehites finally get the message, repent and receive reconciliation. This turn of affairs threw Jonah into an angry passion; apparently he believed that G_d was too generous: "I knew that you are a gracious G_d and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and ready to relent from punishing." Many times we hear Jonah's words echo from the "created's" perspective as, "That's not fair!"
"Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of G_d, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of G_d has come near; repent and believe in the good news.'" Jesus is announcing the judgment and the demise of this world, not because G_d is not pleased with his Creation, but is proclaiming the new Kingdom which is Christ himself. As the Word begotten of the Father, Jesus appeals not only with his brief eloquence, but by the power of his whole being. He says, "Follow me," and the hearers follow him, one after the other, Peter and Andrew, James and John, without any more reflection than the sea, they leave their boats, their vocations, their lives.
The life they leave was a foundation to their calling. Saying "Follow me," Jesus says to these men of the sea, "I will teach you to make your nets catch people." Those, who would not be chosen by man because they are not compliant with man, become the tools needed by and for the Divine. Not everyone will hear the call once and follow, for some it may require the repetition of five hundred times, or more.
While some might not think it fair, those who have ears to hear, no matter when they hear, can also be the bearers of the Divine message. No matter their station before men, nor when they hear, nor even if they deny the Divine later, like the people of Nineveh and as many of those chosen by Jesus did. We have all focused our hearts towards other people, other goals, other projects, only to find that these can never deliver the fulfillment which we desire. Even as other things call out to us, G_d resides in our hearts, continually whispering our true happiness, "Follow me!"
Pax,
jbt
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