BIBLICAL REFLECTION: Sunday Gospel and Life

Since the beginning of the second term we see many students running in the streets and beaches preparing themselves for the inter-schools athletics competitions.

Some want to excel by competing with fellow athletes while others compete with themselves. The latter time themselves and try to do better each time. These ones are likely to do better because they are working on themselves and not comparing themselves with others. Conversion can be done the same way.

Last Sunday the readings were centered on the theme of a calling – vocation: a call from God to be… all throughout one’s life. The readings of today (Jonah 3:1-5, 10;    I Corinthians 7:29-31;   Mark 1: 14-20) embrace the themes of a call, discipleship, ministry and conversion. I choose to reflect on the theme of conversion or what we may call a change of heart and/or a growth in holiness. Conversion and faith are bound together as can be seen in these readings.

Jonah was called to preach the word of God in Niniveh. He thought God was not for the Assyrians that lived in Niniveh at the time. The thinking of the time was that God was only for Israel and so the people of Niniveh would not listen to him or God. He took a ship for Tarshish (in the West) instead of going Eastwards, where Niniveh was located.

Secondly, Jonah thought of God as merciful and good; so he was not convinced that God would destroy Niniveh if the people refuse to repent. He saw himself as a failure even before he began his mission.

However, when Jonah told the people, “only forty days more and Niniveh is going to be destroyed,” they, “proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least.” I want to draw your attention to the words “forty days” and “put on sackcloth.” Forty days was a full cycle of repentance and putting on sackcloth and ashes on the head are the outward signs of one who is repenting. God was merciful and did not destroy Niniveh.

When Jesus preached, he called people and told them, “the time has come and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.” Jesus’ message demanded some urgency in responding to the call for repentance. The same spirit of urgency is expressed in the second reading as Paul says, “…our time is growing short.”
We may ask the question what is repentance? When we look at Scripture, we see that it is parting with sin and doing what one is called to be or do. To the soldiers who came to be baptized Jesus said, “…no intimidation.” As for the Scribes and Pharisees Jesus said, “…hypocrites. You have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith. The tax collectors also had their share: “do not take more than what is prescribed in the law.”

Conversion for us today can either be a radical turning away from doing what is evil or a gradual, conscious and willing departure with people, places and habits that lead us to sin or sins that we easily commit because of our calling. Some questions we may ask ourselves are as follows:

Am I involved in cheating people in my buying and selling? How faithful am I to my vocation/partner? Am I involved in corruption? If one should ask me, “what must I do?” Surely the words of Scripture are abundantly clear: stop doing what is wrong and strive to be the best of who you are.