For the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, the three assigned readings are Jonah 3:1-5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-35 and Mark 1:14-20. The text for preaching is Jonah 3:5, “So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.”

What was the message that Jonah preached that was so persuasive. The only part that is revealed is, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Perhaps it was the enthusiasm of the preacher. However, is it not true that Jonah was not pleased with his assignment? His rebellion resulted in his being swallowed by a fish.

Jonah is an excellent book to comfort the pastor and the layperson who wonders whether the words he speaks are effective. The reason why the town of Nineveh repented was that Jonah finally did speak the Word of God as it was given to him and the Holy Spirit did not permit the message to be returned empty.

The basis for a valid message is that it is a repeat of the Word of God. The basis for an effective message is that the Holy Spirit creates faith through the proper means of using the Word of God. While the specific message revealed is Law, the message would also have included the effect of God’s promise to those who repent of their sins.

The final point is that Nineveh would not have been converted due to their appreciation of Jonah. His attitude would have been obvious that he did not care that much for these Gentiles. But the Word of God properly proclaimed trumps anything else that might lead to unrepentance. Because of a gracious attitude, the Holy Spirit moved the hearts of those Ninevites and brought them to faith. And Jonah’s source for the Word is the same for us as for him!