Delivered on Sunday 31 August 2008 in St George's Chapel

Jonah 3

In our first reading this morning we heard that the word of God came to Jonah a second time. He had heard the word of God before. On that occasion he behaved most unlike the prophet he was called to be - he didn't go out and preach to the people; instead he ran away. And that's when he had that episode with the whale - but you know that story. The story you heard this morning is a little less familiar. But one thing is for sure, Jonah wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. This time he hears the word of God and immediately he gets up and goes to Nineveh. But why had he been reluctant to go to Nineveh in the first place?

Not much is known about Jonah but he is mentioned in the second book of the Kings. There, we learn that Jonah was a prophet in the court of Jeroboam the second, a king with expansionist tendencies. The likelihood, then, is that Jonah was a nationalistic prophet supporting the extension of Israel's boundaries and also looking out at the neighbouring countries with either displeasure or suspicion. In the case of Assyria, with its capital city Nineveh, he would have had reason both to be displeased and suspicious, for there was a great empire. For a nationalistic prophet to be sent on a diplomatic mission to a country he disapproved of, and felt threatened by, would have been a tough pill to swallow. It might be like an ardent Spurs supporter being asked to deliver a message of repentance to the Arsenal community; you'd think twice before you committed yourself! But this second time, Jonah was obedient; he heard the call of God and he packed his bag and set out for Nineveh.

And when he got there he stood in the marketplace and called out to the people, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown". With a message like that, coming from someone like himself, he must have worried about the crowd reaction. The response was immediate ... but surprising. The people of Nineveh did not pick up stones; instead, they believed. There were no questions, no philosophical debates, no prevarication, no exceptions; they heard the word of God and they believed. In fact, they not only believed they also called a fast. Jonah must have been very surprised. So far so good, but what would the king make of it? The king, that mighty despotic leader of the empire, even more surprisingly, followed his people. He arose from his throne and took off his royal robes - he replaced the robes with sackcloth, and his throne with a heap of ashes. In this state of mind, the mighty king ordered a national fast; he institutionalised a period of fasting and repentance. No-one, not even the animals, was to eat or drink. Everyone was to be covered in sackcloth. Everyone was to turn from their infamous violent ways. Everyone was to call out mightily to God. The hope, as far as the king saw it, was that God would see this great national repentance and would not bring calamity upon them. As the king said "Who knows?" It's at least worth a shot!

On one hand this is a story of judgement, repentance and deliverance. The powerful king knows the limits of his own power. He knows that a spot of repentance in the face of almighty God might just lead to deliverance. It is at least worth a shot! But on the other hand this a story also about calling out. At the very start of our text Jonah hears the word of God; he is then instructed to 'call' out that word to the people of Nineveh. Then, obediently, he goes and calls. The people believe and call a feast. The word of God reaches the king and he calls a fast, instructing all his people to call out to God.

When Jonah first heard the word of God calling out to him, he sat down and reflected: this is asking a bit much, me go to Nineveh to deliver a message - it will end up in disaster. He had good reason to think like this but what he was really doing was sitting in judgement on the word of God. Jonah wasn't really listening to the call; he was judging the call. Yes, he heard the word, but he thought knew better. And in truth we often share his reservation - although for different reasons. We feel that, with our knowledge and intellectual ability we must be a better position to judge things than ever before. And if we are in a better position to make judgement generally, why should we not make judgement about the word of God. We want to stand over the word of God in judgement, when in fact we are being called to sit under the word of God in obedience. We are being called not to judgement but to obedience. And that's a real shift for the contemporary mind - our education, political system, and media, all prod us to intellectual judgement. The days of looking to authority and obediently following are long since gone. But then we are not talking here about listening at school desk, or a parliamentary bench or a press room - we are talking about listening to the word of God. There is a world of difference.

We are called "To sit under the Word of God in obedience". It is a tough calling, as the story of Jonah reminds us; it is a calling to change our attitude from one of judgement to obedience. But as the King of Nineveh said, when he first heard the Word of God, "It might at least be worth a shot! Who knows?"