3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Jon 3:1-5, 10; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.  The teacher explained that it is physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human being because even though it is a very large mammal its throat is very small.

The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.

Quite annoyed, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human being; it is physically impossible.

The little girl said, “When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah.”

The teacher asked, “What if Jonah went to hell?”

The little girl replied, “Then you ask him.”

(The Story is from an unnown author)

The first reading is the story about Jonah who was asked by God to go to a place called Nineveh to preach against the people because of their wickedness. According to scholars, Nineveh was a huge pagan metropolitan city, the seat of immorality and godlessness. For many Jews, Nineveh was a hopeless city, doomed to perdition. Jonah had a reason when he objected to God’s call for him to go there. Who was he to change this godless people? The pagans would simply make him a laughingstock or would immediately break him to pieces. He thought it would be better for God to carry His plan to destroy the whole city of Nineveh.

The amazing part in the story of Jonah was not his incredible adventure inside the belly of the fish; rather, it was the unexpected reaction of the people of Nineveh when they finally heard the Word of God from Jonah’s mouth. The people believed in Jonah’s prophecy and immediately they changed their ways, they fasted and offered sacrifices to God. One can just imagine Jonah asking in complete amazement, “How did I do that?”

The gospel narrates how Jesus started his ministry by asking people to repent and turn back to God: “The kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News” (Mk 1:15). Then He invited followers to help in catching people for the kingdom. The first four disciples were ordinary fishermen, who like Jonah, had no credentials to show with regards to teaching or preaching. For sure, there were good orators, lawyers, teachers and leaders during Jesus’ time, but He did not choose them.

There are three important points that we need to learn from the readings. First, God wants us all to be saved. He constantly sends people to remind and to help us understand His will in our lives. Second, God wants us to get involved in His plan of salvation. He invites us to actively participate in His kingdom. He wants us to lead one another to Him, to help one another change evil ways. Finally, God wants to assure us that our ordinariness is not a hindrance to our vocation of serving His kingdom. What He asks of us is our willingness and our complete surrender to His will. God will fill up what is lacking in us.

The next time you feel like God can't use you, just remember – Noah was a drunk; Abraham was too old; Isaac was a daydreamer; Jacob was a liar; Leah was ugly; Joseph was abused; Moses had a stuttering problem; Gideon was afraid; Samson had long hair and was a womanizer; Rahab was a prostitute; Jeremiah and Timothy were too young; David had an affair and was a murderer; Elijah was suicidal;  Isaiah preached naked; Jonah ran from God; Naomi was a widow; Job went bankrupt; John the Baptist ate bugs; Peter denied Christ; The Disciples fell asleep while praying; Martha worried about everything; The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once; Zaccheus was too small; Paul was a religious fanatic; Timothy had an ulcer; and, Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses now. God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

(The article is from an unknown author)