Jonah 3:1-10 / Luke 10:38-42
It is always good to follow instructions and obey orders.
When we do that, we will have peace of mind, and we won’t be too worried about outcomes.
So, it is better to be on the side of the law, and the law will be on our side.
But following instructions and obeying orders may be easier said than done.
We have this orientation towards having our freedom of choice.
And so we would question instructions and orders, especially when we disagree with it.
In the 1st reading, Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the Word of the Lord.
But before that, he had tried to run away from the Lord, and ended up in the belly of the big fish for three days, before being thrown up ashore.
Jonah wouldn’t have gotten into all that trouble if he had just obeyed the Word of the Lord.
Instead he fret and grumbled at the Lord’s command and that only added more worries and troubles for himself.
In the gospel, it was Martha who fret and worry about so many things that she got distracted and complained to Jesus.
Let us understand that when we fret and grumble, worry and complain, there is no good that will come out of it.
Let us listen to the Word of the Lord, let us be still and be silent, and then we will be at peace to know what the Lord wants of us and to do it.