Sunday Lectionary: You called, I answered

Since JP2 is now meeting again, I will be resuming my “Sunday Lectionary” posts for the coming week’s Sunday Mass Readings. I did begin one last week but I didn’t finish it in time :-(. So, from now on I’m limiting my writing time to two hours – I do tend to get a bit carried away… 😉

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: 22nd January 2012

Last week’s Readings focused on God’s call to us. In turn, this week’s Readings focus upon our response to Him.

In the First Reading we hear of how Jonah (eventually) responded to God’s call and then how the people of Nineveh responded to God through the message of His Prophet.

In the Gospel we hear Jesus’ message: repent and believe for the Kingdom is at hand. He calls four fishermen to come and follow him, simple men who, later when He is gone, will become great pillars in His Church.

Having before you many examples of sinners who repented and were saved, be you also earnest in confessing to the Lord, that you may receive pardon for past sins, be made worthy of the heavenly gift, and inherit the kingdom of heaven with all the saints  -St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. AD 386)

Reading I: Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Jonah is sometimes known as “The Reluctant Prophet”. He did not want to go and preach to the people of Nineveh but did everything he possibly could to get out of his divinely-appointed assignment. In fact, he fled in the opposite direction!

However, after his little stay in the belly of a sea creature he undertook the task that God had originally assigned him. The ideogram for Nineveh rather amusingly means “place of fish”. It would appear that the man who was once fish food was to now become a fisherman…

The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’S bidding.

Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, “ when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

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.

Questions:

• What is the background to this week’s First Reading?
• What does it mean to be a prophet?
• Had Jonah wanted this mission?
• What is the result of his preaching?
• What is God’s response? What does this tell us about God?

Commentary:

The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’S bidding.

To be a prophet is to speak on behalf of God, rather than necessarily to predict the future. In this case Jonah is doing both – he is delivering a message on behalf of God and telling the Ninevites of a possible future if they continue on their current course.

It is worth noting that Nineveh was not in Israel, but in Assyria, Gentile land. From this we can see that, even in the days of Jonah, Yahweh was concerned with the lives of those outside of His people of Israel.

In the New Testament Christ compares Himself to Jonah when speaking of his Death and Resurrection:

[Jesus] answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here. – Matthew 12:39-42

In Jonah we see a “type” of Christ.

Now Nineveh was an enormously large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began his journey through the city, and had gone but a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed, “… 

As with all prophetic warnings, God’s desire is not for destruction, but for repentance so that He may show His mercy.

Archaeologists say that the city had more than 120,000 inhabitants.

…when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

The Ninevites respond favourably to Jonah’s preaching, taking his warning seriously and responding with signs of repentance by fasting and wearing of sackcloth (a coarse garment usually made of goat hair).

As to whether they simply headed Jonah’s warning or became worshipers exclusively of Yahweh is unclear.

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.

In this passage the people of Nineveh repent, but so too does God! To “repent” means to change one’s mind, to do an about turn. The people of Nineveh change their minds. They turn from sin and towards God. Because of this, God “changes His mind” and does not visit destruction upon them.

If we read the verses following this extract we find out that Jonah is not at all pleased with the city’s response to his preaching:

 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

Jonah wanted the city to suffer God’s wrath! Jonah knew of God’s mercy, but didn’t want Nineveh to receive it! It is rather reminiscent of the older son from the parable of the Prodigal Son:

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ – Luke 15:28-30

How often are we grateful of God’s mercy but do not choose to extend it to others?

 

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, -9

This psalm focuses around God’s discipleship and guidance of David.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.

Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice
and teaches the humble his way.

Questions:

• What are the psalmist’s requests to God?
• How does the psalmist describe the Lord?

Commentary:

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

 Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.

These are requests for the Lord to reveal Himself and to guide His servant.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your love are from of old. In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.

As he submits his request, the psalmist appeals to his knowledge of God’s goodness.

Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice and teaches the humble his way.

The psalmist affirms that God is always willing to guide those who humble themselves before Him, even those who are “sinners”. This should give us great comfort.

 

Reading II: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

This week’s Second Reading comes from the section of St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in which he talks about marriage, just prior to his praise of  celibacy.

I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out. From now on, let those having wives act as not having them, those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning,  those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away.

Questions:

• What is the thrust of Paul’s message?
• What does it mean to “let those having wives act as not having them, those weeping as not weeping…” etc?

Commentary:

I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out. 

This is the main point of this Reading – time is short. Paul may have Jesus’ Second Coming in mind here, but it’s also possible that he is more generally referring to the brief nature of our existence:

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes – James 4:14

Either way, his point stands – we don’t have much time.

From now on, let those having wives act as not having them, those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning,  those using the world as not using it fully. 

I would summarize these statements thus: “Hold onto things of this world lightly“. Paul has just affirmed that there is little time left and, in the next verse he says that world as we know it is passing away. Therefore, we should not treat the world as though it is were the only reality or most important reality:

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, … a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance… [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men – Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4, 11

The Gospel has the ability to radically reorder and reorient our lives, just as it did with the Apostles in this Sunday’s Gospel Reading.

For the world in its present form is passing away.

Paul re-affirms the temporary nature of this world.

 

Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

The Gospel account from which we will mostly be reading this year will be Mark’s. Our Reading this week comes from the beginning of that Gospel. So far Mark has described the ministry of John the Baptist. We now pick up the story at John’s arrest…

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. 

He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

Questions:

• Which John is being referred to in this excerpt?
• Why does Jesus come to Galilee?
• What is this “gospel of God”?
• Had Jesus met Simon, Andrew, James and John before?
• What role does these disciples play during Jesus’ ministry?
• What significance do you see in that Jesus chooses fishermen?
• If you placed yourself within this passage, would you be in the boat with your nets or following Jesus?
• What makes you want to follow Jesus?

Commentary:

After John had been arrested…

This is referring to John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets. John was arrested because he spoke out against Herod:

Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her” – Matthew 14:3-4

Herod Antipas had divorced his wife and married his niece Herodias, who was married to his brother. This was condemned under the Mosaic law:

Do not have sexual relations wit your brother’s wife; that would dishonour your brother – Leviticus 18:16

John will eventually be beheaded after Salome, Herodias’ daughter, dances for Herod and he promises to give her anything she desires in return. At the prompting of her mother she asks for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

…Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 

Jesus “picks up the baton” left by John and moves into the region where he had been preaching. This marks a new stage in Salvation History. Prophecy is over, fulfillment is at hand!

The word “gospel” means “Good news”. In ancient times “gospel” messengers were those who traveled around announcing good news, such as the birth of a king or a recent military victory.

The “gospel of God” is both the good news from God and the good news about God…

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

The kingdom is a-coming! Jesus repeats the constant refrain of God’s prophets throughout history: turn to God and put your trust in Him. Turn away from sin and turn towards God. Repentance is a response to God’s mercy and this leads to conversion. This is how we enter into His Kingdom. The “kingdom” here is more than just a geographic region, it’s a reign.

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. 

This was not Jesus’ first contact with Simon and Andrew – we heard about that in last week’s Gospel Reading.

Jesus gives a very simple invitation: “Come after me”. The disciples respond to this invitation with wholehearted commitment. Thus begins their formal discipleship and journey with Jesus. Jesus promises to make them “fishers of men”, Evangelists in the Kingdom. This calls to mind a prophecy of Jeremiah in which prophesied of a new and greater Exodus for Israel, where “fishermen” who would “catch” God’s people dispersed among the nations (Jeremiah 16:14-16).

As fishermen they would have had neither great education nor power. In this we see a common pattern of God in the Bible – using the insignificant to display His greatness:

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong – 1 Corinthians 1:27

If God can work so powerfully through simple fishermen, He can do the same thing with us.

He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. 

The disciples called in this week’s Gospel Reading are Andrew, Simon (Peter), James and John. The last three of these form Jesus’ “inner circle” among the Twelve Apostles. Andrew also has an important role to play, particularly in reference to the Feeding of the Multitudes which gives rise to the Bread of Life discourse.

So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

This is somewhat reminiscent of the calling of the Prophet Elisha by the Prophet Elijah. Not only do James and John leave their “father Zebedee”, they leave behind a successful business, illustrated by the presence of “hired men”. Vocations from God often require the leaving behind of good things, yet it is always for the promise of even greater things. As Paul pointed out in the Second Reading, “For the world in its present form is passing away”…