Jonah 3:3b-4

^3b Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.

⁴ Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

Philippians 2:5-11

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God,     did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing     by taking the very nature of a servant,     being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man,     he humbled himself     by becoming obedient to death—         even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place     and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,     in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,     to the glory of God the Father.

Jonah finally does the mission God called him to do. God also calls us to deliver his message of reconciliation and peace by word and deed. We may not always see the effect of our message, but our responsibility is to faithfully proclaim God’s message.

Francis of Assisi said, Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words. It is said that his lifestyle and clothing spoke so clearly of Christ that words speaking of Christ were superfluous. Clearly, Francis of Assisi also spoke of Christ, but let us not avoid the challenge: Does my life and the life of my Christian community speak clearly of Christ?

Jonah’s recorded prophetic words are few, but his action in finally going to his enemy’s capital city to proclaim God’s judgment spoke volumes. He acted courageously. His words matched his boldness, giving credibility to his proclamation.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that God in Christ took the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness…he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

In God’s kingdom the messenger is also the message.

God of the Servant King, by your Holy Spirit empower me to have the same attitude of humble obedience as Christ Jesus. May my life embody your message so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father”. Amen.