Paul, in the first reading, uses the story of Abraham symbolically. He speaks of Abraham’s two sons: Ishmael - born of the flesh and of a slave girl; and Isaac - born of a free woman through the promise of God. This is an allegory to describe the covenants – the old, made at Mount Sinai and the new, through Jesus. The people’s rigid interpretation of the letter of the law, rather than its spirit, caused the Mosaic Law (received at Sinai), to enslave, insofar as one adhered to it in order to be justified through one’s own effort. But through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Father offers us daughterhood and sonship, that is truly liberating!

In the Gospel Jesus, refers to the crowd as “wicked” and “evil” because although they have heard Him and seen His works, they still ask Him for a “sign” to prove that He is from God. Jesus offers them only the “sign of Jonah”. Like Jonah emerged from the captivity of the fish, so will Jesus rise from the captivity of death! Like Jonah, Jesus walked through Palestine proclaiming a message of repentance and conversion. It is only in listening and acting upon Jesus’ message that they will truly be free!