Several years ago when I ran a weekly Bible Study, I would post my commentary on the Sunday Mass Readings. One of my friends who leads a weekly Bible Study is in Washington DC at the moment for the March For Life and has asked me to host the group in her absence.

Fortunately, I already had some notes for this coming Sunday’s readings, but I spent some time updating them in preparation for tonight’s discussion. So, in case you’re interested, here they are…

3rd Week of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Lord, inspire me to read your Scriptures and to meditate upon them day and night. I beg you to give me real understanding of what I need, that I in turn may put its precepts into practice. Yet, I know that understanding and good intentions are worthless, unless rooted in your graceful love. So I ask that the words of Scripture may also be not just signs on a page, but channels of grace into my heart. Amen.

– Origen of Alexandria (2nd Century)

Introduction

Last week’s Readings focused on God’s call to us. In turn, this week’s Readings focus upon our response to Him, our vocation and mission. Oh yes…and fish.

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)

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.

Readings

Reading I: Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Book Facts:

• Set in the reign of Jeroboam II (786–746 BC), it was probably written in the post-exilic period, some time between the late 5th to early 4th century BC.
• Unlike the other Prophets, the book of Jonah is almost entirely narrative, with the exception of the psalm in chapter 2

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…

Full Text:

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 happened beforehand? Had Jonah wanted this mission?
• Where was Nineveh? What does this tell us about God?
• What does it mean to be a prophet?
• What did Jonah preach? What is the significance of “Forty days”?
• What is the result of his preaching? What does this tell us about free-will? What is the significance of the people’s actions? What place do these actions have in the liturgical life of the Church?
• What is God’s response? What does this tell us about God? What does it mean when we say that God “repented”? Surely God does no “evil”?
• What happens in the story after this? What can we learn from it?
• When is Jonah mentioned in the New Testament? In what context?

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 the capital of Assyria, Gentile land.  Assyria had destroyed Israel in 721 B.C. 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. Not only in Christ’s resurrection, but in the proclamation of the Gospel to the Gentiles.

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”…

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

Forty days signals a time of change, preparation and conversion.

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

…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).

The phrase that they “believed God” is reminiscent of Abraham in Genesis 15:6 where he is counted as righteous.

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. This is an anthropomorphic description of God, since he is, of course, unchangeable. St. Thomas Aquinas deals with this in detail in ST 1. Q 19. A7. There is no Hebrew word for “suffering”, which is why the text uses the word “evil”.

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… “…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 David’s submission to the will of God, and God’s discipleship and guidance of David.

Book Facts:

• Hymn book of Israel
• Primary authorship attributed to King David, but added to by others

Full Text:

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:

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 and celibacy.

Book Facts:

• Congregation founded by Paul himself
• Had some pretty major issues, particularly regarding divisions.
• Had to write multiple letters to this Church (of which we have two)

Full Text:

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?
• Why is “the time is running out”?
• 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 Ninevites in the First Reading and 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…

Book Facts:

• This will be the primary Gospel book for this year.
• Most scholars would regard Mark as the first and earliest Gospel book
• Basic Greek (beginning sentences with “And…”)
• Keeps moving (repeated use of the word “immediately” which isn’t so obvious in the NAB translation of the Lectionary)

Full Text:

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. [Immediately] Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

Questions:

• Is this the same call of Simon and Andrew which we heard last week? Had Jesus met Simon, Andrew, James and John before? How do we know?
• Which John is being referred to in this excerpt? Why was he arrested?
• Why does Jesus come to Galilee? What can we learn from the fact that Andrew (and Peter) are there?
• What does it mean to say that “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand”?
• What is this “gospel of God”?
• What role does these disciples play during Jesus’ ministry?
• What does it mean to make someone “fishers of men”?
• Why did they just drop everything and go with Jesus?
• 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?
• How do all of today’s readings fit together?
• How might our understanding of fishing instruct us in evangelization? Over what does a fisherman have control? Over what does he NOT have control?

Commentary:

After John had been arrested…

This therefore clearly takes place some time after last week’s Gospel from John where the Baptist proclaims “Behold the Lamb of God” and when the disciples follow Jesus He says “Come and see…”

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 with 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.

John’s arrest foreshadows Jesus’ own arrest.

…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” (“Evangelion”) 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.”

These are allusions to Daniel 2. Daniel prophesies that God Himself is going to set up the Kingdom. He gives a chronology for this, saying that the everlasting Kingdom will be brought by the Messianic “Son of Man” during the time of the Roman Empire.

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.

Did they go back to their ordinary lives, following the arrest of John? Jesus picks up the baton.

This was not Jesus’ first contact with Simon and Andrew – we heard about that in last week’s Gospel Reading (“Come and see”).

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 has obvious metaphorical meaning. However, it also 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 as a result of the Assyrian exile:

“However, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but it will be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors. “But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.

– Jeremiah 16:14-16

A new and greater Exodus will come! God will send out fishers to gather people in from all the countries of the earth (the Jordan had been where the last Exodus has ended).

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. Origen of Alexandria said the same:

“We may see… how that religion itself grew up in a short time… this result is the more surprising, that even the teachers of it themselves neither were men of skill, nor very numerous; and yet these words are preached throughout the whole world, so that Greeks and Barbarians, wise and foolish, adopt the doctrines of the Christian religion. From which it is no doubtful inference, that it is not by human power or might that the words of Jesus Christ came to prevail with all faith and power over the understandings and souls of men”

Origen, On First Principles 4.1.2

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.

Like Jonah, they were freed from the fish in order to do the will of God!

This is somewhat reminiscent of the calling of the Prophet Elisha by the Prophet Elijah:

So he departed from there, and found Eli′sha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Eli′jah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Eli′jah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Eli′jah, and ministered to him.

– 1 Kings 19:19-21

Not only do James and John leave their “father Zebedee”, (which means “gift of God”) 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”…

“It has been demonstrated to us in Scripture that any too dear relations, crafts and trades are to be quite left behind for the Lord’s sake.”

– Tertullian (A.D. 211), On Idolatry 12