Labor frustration

Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
Gospel: Luke 11:29-32
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031225.cfm

Jesus is frustrated in today’s scripture. The work he is doing to share the gospel to the people doesn’t seem to be getting through. He references the stories about Solomon and Jonah to express his annoyance.

In the story of Jonah (Jonah 3), Jonah was called by God to witness to the Ninevites that if they don’t change their ways, they’d be overthrown. The Ninevites were gentile. This story of Ninevites shows an example of God in the Old Testament going beyond the Jewish people to care for the salvation of others. When Jonah shared his message with them, the Ninevites repented and changed their ways. Even the Ninevite king followed suit. The sign of Jonah mentioned in today’s gospel was of conversion. He had a message to share to an unlikely group of people and they changed their ways. He didn’t perform miracles; he merely shared God’s news.

In the Solomon story that Jesus references, the queen of the South traveled to meet with him and seek his guidance (1 King 10:1-10). They gave gifts to each other and Solomon gave her answers and clarity to questions she had. She tells Solomon:

“The report I heard in my country about your deeds and your wisdom is true. I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes that not even half had been told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard. Happy are your servants, happy these ministers of yours, who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom. Blessed be the LORD, your God, who has been pleased to place you on the throne of Israel. In his enduring love for Israel, the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice.”

She too was a gentile like the Ninevites. She saw not just the greatness of Solomon and how he treated his people, but the greatness of his God.

When Jesus talks about the Queen of the South and the Ninevites, he’s saying that those unexpected to listen to God’s news will actually listen and follow the teachings. Whereas those that were expected to listen would not and would be left behind. He wanted his tribe of people to receive the good news along with gentiles and those considered sinners and on the margins.

How often this can happen to us too! We can seek certain fruits from our labor and not receive it. We can seek to help others and not be received how we want to be received. We can be surprised by those who actually listen, change, and follow. They may not be who we originally thought. Our labor is in our control (Jonah) and so is our integrity (Solomon); how others respond is not. We must always hope for our continued conversion and the continued conversion of others. May we experience the fruit of our labor and find peace when we do not. May we too, like the Ninevites and the Queen of the South, be open to changing our ways when we receive the news of God.