Lizzy Williams
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Jonah never wanted to be a prophet. When the Word of the Lord came to him asking him to call on the great city of Nineveh to repent of their evil ways, he got straight on a boat to go as far as he possibly could in the opposite direction. God’s calling was relentless, however, and before long Jonah found himself thrown overboard to die. It is here that we find the famous image of Jonah, swallowed by a large fish, in whose belly he stayed for three days. It is because he was swallowed whole that he did eventually make it to Nineveh, who repented at his word.
Jesus offers this as a prophecy to the people of his time, and to us today. Jesus was thrown up on a cross to die, and then was swallowed up by the grave. It is because he was swallowed whole that the joy of Easter was able to break forth out of the pain of Good Friday, calling on all of us to turn our lives around and enter into a healthy and loving relationship with him, and with his Father, who has adopted us as his own.
It is exactly when we’ve gone the farthest, running away or crying out “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, KJV) that God is the nearest to us, calling us to himself day by day. Are we running from God? Do we feel forsaken? It is when we are in the belly of the fish, when all seems furthest lost, that we must heed the sign of Jonah and sing our songs of thanksgiving. The wonderful redemption we find on the other side of Lent promises that it will all be worth it.
Lizzy Williams has attended Trinity Cathedral since summer 2021. She works in the Southside and has returned to school this year to study education.
Find all Lenten Devotionals from Trinity Cathedral here.
