HOMILY OF 16TH MONDAY OF ORDINARY TIME: YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: ‘THE SIGN OF JONAH’
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.
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In today’s Gospel passage, the scribes and Pharisees approach Jesus asking for a sign that shows the source of His authority. Knowing their malicious intent and sinister plot against Him, Jesus tells them, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.”
In talking about the ‘sign of Jonah’, the Lord is alluding to two points regarding this prophet. First, Jonah is the prophet that prefigures or foreshadows the Messiah: “Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” Jesus foretells His own death and resurrection.
Second, it is an urgent call to repentance and conversion. The many signs Jesus performed in their midst, and the messages He preached to them are all intended to move people to believe and reform their lives. In Jonah’s time, Nineveh was a big city living in sin and immorality. It is not unexpected, though, for it was a pagan population. God decides to destroy this city. But He gives them their last chance. So Jonah is sent to urge them to conversion. Surprisingly, the response of the people, beginning with the king, appeases God. They sincerely repent and ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness. So, the city is spared from certain destruction.
Jesus mentions this incident as a strong warning to all His listeners, especially His accusers. They are Jews, members of the Chosen People of God. But with their behavior towards the Lord, who is infinitely greater than the prophet Jonah, they are bound to lose God’s favor on the day of judgment: “At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah.”
In the same way, the Queen of the South, that is, the Queen of Sheba, who comes from a faraway place to hear the wisdom of Solomon will fare better than them for not believing in Jesus, who is greater by far than Solomon.
There are many people nowadays who still look for a sign from God in order to confirm and strengthen their faith. They are saying, “God, give me a sign so that I may believe.” But this is a clear indication of a weak and superficial faith. The fact is, this world is already full of God’s signs. Instead of looking for signs, therefore, we should deepen and strengthen our faith so that we may fully understand God’s signs. This is what St. Augustine said: “Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.”
In this Mass, we pray that God will give us an increase of faith that we may see clearly and understand the signs of His presence, power and love that abound in the world. May this, in turn, give us confidence and courage to face life’s trials and difficulties knowing that He is always with us until the end of the age.
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