The Sign of Jonah
The book of Jonah is about the prophet of God who was swallowed whole. A popular story for children and a great illustration, its sign is the only one our Lord will give to the Pharisees: just as a man was swallowed up for three days and rose again, the Son of Man will remain in the earth three days and three nights and rise again (Matt. 12:40). He identifies Jonah’s story with his own, making this prophet’s commemoration a unique opportunity to learn more about our Savior’s work through the life of this Old Testament saint.
Jonah is a short book, but the mere 48 verses are rich with poetry and irony. The language takes the reader on the journey with Jonah, this reluctant prophet of God. In the opening, the Lord commands Jonah to go to Nineveh, but instead, Jonah finds a ship and sails to Tarshish. At this point the text describes Jonah’s path as going down to Joppa. There he found the ship and went down into the boat. He doesn’t stop there. When God sends a storm upon the ship Jonah goes down even further within the boat and into the inner part of the ship. There, as low as he can go, Jonah falls asleep.
Meanwhile, God sends a great storm. The sailors on the boat, who ironically would seem to be holier than Jonah, wake him up and cast lots to determine whose evil brought about this great storm. The lot falls on Jonah, who then confesses his transgression, is thrown down into the sea, and is ultimately swallowed up by a large fish. Jonah finally hits rock bottom and remains three days inside the belly of the fish.
Jonah cries out to the Lord in prayer. At this point in Jonah’s story, the reader is approaching the middle of Chapter 2, which seems unremarkable in our Bibles. But take away the chapters and headings, and you will notice that something shifts in the very center verses of the book:
(5) The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
(6) at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O LORD my God (2:5-6).
In the middle of verse six, Jonah shifts his tone. He is no longer going down deeper and farther from God, but he remembers the Lord and prays to him with thanksgiving, “salvation belongs to the Lord!” (2:9) The Lord commands Jonah to arise, which he does and begins his journey to the city of Nineveh.
Up Jonah rises at the Lord’s command. This second time, he does as the Lord wills and preaches repentance to the people of Nineveh. Even the king dons sackcloth and orders a fast in all the land. God hears their plea and has mercy upon them. But Jonah is displeased with the Lord’s kindness. When God spares the city, Jonah grumbles against his goodness and makes a place for himself outside the city where God appoints a plant to shade Jonah from the scorching heat. Not soon after he sends a worm to destroy the plant, illustrating for Jonah that while he has pity on a plant that is one day alive and the next dead, God would also have pity on a much greater thing: the city of Nineveh. In this way the Lord demonstrates that he is a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Brief History
Our Lord himself interprets Jonah’s story as a foreshadowing and sign of the Christ who will be swallowed up and remain three days in the heart of the earth. This has informed the Church’s liturgical understanding from the beginning. For example, the Church has often made connections between Holy Saturday, the day when our Lord rested in the tomb, and the time when Jonah rested in the depths of the fish. This is also why, as Lutherans, we might hear Jonah’s story during the Easter Vigil when the lectionary readings remind us of the many resurrections in the Old Testament—including Jonah’s—as we anticipate the reading of Jesus’ ultimate victory over death.
The Jews also have a special day on which they read the book of Jonah, the feast of Yom Kippur. This feast usually falls in late September or early October, which may give us an indication of why September 22nd was chosen for Jonah’s commemoration in the Lutheran Service Book‘s calendar of saints. The Roman Catholic Church similarly remembers Jonah on September 21st, but other historic calendars have assigned him different dates, such as Wilhelm Loehe’s Lutheran martyrology, where he is listed on November 12.
Collect
O Almighty God, who hast knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord; grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to the unspeakable joys which Thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love Thee; through the same, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Lessons
Resources
St. Jonah’s Stuffed Gourd
Issues, Etc. interview with the Dr. Ken Schurb on Jonah
Concordia Bible Institute presentation by Rev. Dr. Brian German on the sign of Jonah
Propers found in Daily Divine Service Book: A Lutheran Daily Missal, edited by the Rev. Heath Curtis
References:
1. Weedon, William. Celebrating the Saints. Concordia Publishing House. 2016.
2. Jonah. Presentation by Rev. Dr. Brian German. 2017.
Images:
1. Jonah Cast on Shore by the Fish, Hieronymus Wierix, Netherlands, 1585.
2. Historia Jonasza, Paul Bril, Belgium, 1590.
3. Prophet Jonah, Michelangelo, Italy, circa 1508–1512.
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