Lectio Divina from the Jesse Tree
MARY, JOSEPH, AND THE SIGN OF JONAH – Days 19-24
Jonah 1:1-15, 2:1-11; Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-7; Matthew 2:1-12
“The great storm has come upon you because of me.”
My son is called Jonah. At first he hated it. Every time someone smartly repeated “Jonah and the whale!” or reminded him of how little people thought of the man from Tarshish when they tried incorrectly to recall his name, and remembered it as “Noah.”
It wasn’t until he was older that he allowed me to sit him down and tell him the truth about Jonah.
What’s in a name*, really?
“You are to name him Jesus…
You shall call him Emmanuel, God is with us.”
Of all the men in the bible whom Jesus could’ve given a shout out to, he mentions only two with a level of fondness that beckons those with ears to hear to listen. One is his cousin, the other is Jonah.
When asked for a sign of His power by the Pharisees who hoped to trap him and crucify him as a false prophet, Jesus reprimanded their cruel intentions by telling them the only sign they would receive is the “sign of Jonah.”
“The Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea.
Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship
And lay there fast asleep.”
“Who are you?” They asked. “And who is your God?”
“I am a Hebrew.” He responded.
“What shall we do with you, that the sea may calm down for us?” They questioned.
“Pick me up and hurl me into the sea and the storm will calm down for you.”
And so the sign came upon them in this evil generation, when the Lord himself lay sleeping in the boat as a great storm came upon the disciples at sea. “The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
“Please, O Lord, do not let us perish for taking this man’s life; do not charge us with shedding innocent blood, for you, Lord, have accomplished what you desired.”
Then they picked Jonah up and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging.
And for three days and three nights he remained in the darkness, in the belly of the fish. “From the womb of Sheol I cried for help.”
Until the Lord delivered him up.
Because of the righteousness of Joseph and the humility of Mary, a sign was given.
“His star appeared in the heavens.”
A child was born.
And they named him Jesus. A name above all other names.
“With thankful voice, will I sacrifice to you;
What I have vowed I will pay;
Deliverance is from the Lord.”
Jonah 2:1-11
*The meaning of Jonah in Hebrew is “gentle dove”.
This Christmas, may THE DOVE descend upon our hearts and minds and gently open them to the justice of Joseph, the humility of Mary and the redemption which comes through a small child laid in a manger. This is WONDERFUL LOVE. This is the sign of Jonah. When the storm comes, God is with us. He delivers. Merry Christmas!
I thought you did a great job here. The language is excellent and the picture is tasteful, but you come across as nervous about what you might say next. If you preserve this walk, I have no doubt that I will return more often.