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K. Bangert
We know that Jesus himself told many allegorical stories (called “parables”) which
were to transmit important truths. It appears that we have allegorical books in the Old
Testament, such as Job, Esther or Jonah. The question to be asked is not whether they
are true in an historical sense but whether they are true in a theological and existential
sense. And there can be little doubt that Jonah’s narrative delivers messages about
God’s relationship to us as individuals (Jonah) and to us as collective communities
(Ninevites). It has also been suggested that the prophet Jonah is the embodiment of
Israel in her relation to the surrounding heathen nations. For instance, according to
The Interpreter’s Bible, “the nation, insofar as it rejects its commission to be a light
to the Gentiles, is identical with Jonah” (The Interpreters Bible VI, p. 873).
Jonah and Jesus
Not only Noah’s flood story was featured in the teachings of Jesus, but also Jonah’s
story. When the Pharisees demanded that he legitimize his role by performing a
“sign”, Jesus retorted, according to one synoptic version: “A wicked and adulterous
generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet
Jonah.” (Mt 12:39) And he continued: “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the
judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of
Jonah” (Verse 41).
There are altogether five synoptic versions of the demand for a sign (Mt 12:38–42;
Mt 16: 1 + 4; Mark 8:11–12; Luke 11:29–32 and John 6:30). In only one of the five
version is there a reference to the three days and nights which Jonah was said to have
spent in the belly of a fish and which were then taken as an allegory to the “three days
and three nights” which Jesus spent in the “heart of the earth” (Mt 12:40). Apart from
the problem, that Jesus could not have spent three days and three nights in the earth, if
we accept the common narrative according to which Jesus was crucified on a Friday
and resurrected on a Sunday, an historical-critical comparison of the five different
synoptic versions (two of them in Matthew) leads to the inescapable conclusion that
the reference to the three days and nights must be a later interpolation that actually
distorts the message of that tradition. But what is the message?
The gist of the narrative is best reflected in the Mark version in which the response
of Jesus actually makes no reference to Jonah at all: “Why does this generation seek
a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” (Mark 8:12) The
message is: Jesus will not give them a sign (i.e. a miracle). Fullstop.
The reference to the “sign of Jonah” is found only in the two Matthew versions
and in the Luke version. In Matthew 16 Jesus simply says: “An evil and adulterous
generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”
(Verse 4) Then Jesus left them without further ado. That version does not give an
explanation of what the “sign of Jonah” was supposed to be. That explanation is
only given in the versions of Mt 12 and Luke11. In both places the explanation is
as follows: “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation
and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something
K. Bangert
We know that Jesus himself told many allegorical stories (called “parables”) which
were to transmit important truths. It appears that we have allegorical books in the Old
Testament, such as Job, Esther or Jonah. The question to be asked is not whether they
are true in an historical sense but whether they are true in a theological and existential
sense. And there can be little doubt that Jonah’s narrative delivers messages about
God’s relationship to us as individuals (Jonah) and to us as collective communities
(Ninevites). It has also been suggested that the prophet Jonah is the embodiment of
Israel in her relation to the surrounding heathen nations. For instance, according to
The Interpreter’s Bible, “the nation, insofar as it rejects its commission to be a light
to the Gentiles, is identical with Jonah” (The Interpreters Bible VI, p. 873).
Jonah and Jesus
Not only Noah’s flood story was featured in the teachings of Jesus, but also Jonah’s
story. When the Pharisees demanded that he legitimize his role by performing a
“sign”, Jesus retorted, according to one synoptic version: “A wicked and adulterous
generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet
Jonah.” (Mt 12:39) And he continued: “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the
judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of
Jonah” (Verse 41).
There are altogether five synoptic versions of the demand for a sign (Mt 12:38–42;
Mt 16: 1 + 4; Mark 8:11–12; Luke 11:29–32 and John 6:30). In only one of the five
version is there a reference to the three days and nights which Jonah was said to have
spent in the belly of a fish and which were then taken as an allegory to the “three days
and three nights” which Jesus spent in the “heart of the earth” (Mt 12:40). Apart from
the problem, that Jesus could not have spent three days and three nights in the earth, if
we accept the common narrative according to which Jesus was crucified on a Friday
and resurrected on a Sunday, an historical-critical comparison of the five different
synoptic versions (two of them in Matthew) leads to the inescapable conclusion that
the reference to the three days and nights must be a later interpolation that actually
distorts the message of that tradition. But what is the message?
The gist of the narrative is best reflected in the Mark version in which the response
of Jesus actually makes no reference to Jonah at all: “Why does this generation seek
a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” (Mark 8:12) The
message is: Jesus will not give them a sign (i.e. a miracle). Fullstop.
The reference to the “sign of Jonah” is found only in the two Matthew versions
and in the Luke version. In Matthew 16 Jesus simply says: “An evil and adulterous
generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”
(Verse 4) Then Jesus left them without further ado. That version does not give an
explanation of what the “sign of Jonah” was supposed to be. That explanation is
only given in the versions of Mt 12 and Luke11. In both places the explanation is
as follows: “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation
and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something