How could I live for 52 years and never have heard of James Bartley until today?
Thank goodness today’s Gospel falls on the story of Jonah, forcing me to dig deeper than the pages of scripture to explore this unusual biblical character who survives three days in the “belly of a whale” before walking out alive – a sign to the Ninevites.
Jonah the reluctant prophet.
Jonah the foreshadowing of Christ.
But did it really happen?
Before you answer too quickly, consider a few of the other miraculous stories we choose to believe – the parting sea, the virgin birth, the resurrection of Christ.
Faith allows us to believe without seeing. But many who have no problem with a guy coming back to life, seem to struggle with a guy crawling out of the mouth of a whale.
Which brings us to James Bartley, a legendary fisherman who in 1891 was swallowed whole by a giant sperm whale off the Falkland islands – and lived to tell about it.
The story – as reported in a newspaper in England – is that the whale died and the crew of the ship – Star of the East – pulled the whale on board and began to cut into its massive flesh, only to find Bartley alive inside.
Bartley, the story goes, was left blind and a little bleached (due to gastric acid) but live for many more years.
Hmmm … that’s a tough one to swallow (no pun intended).
This rather strange story seems to be oft-cited by those who want to prove the bible is authentic or not, or the stories contained within are false, or true and actually happened – as opposed to a collection of allegorical lessons derived from stories that have little basis in fact.
You can see how easy it would be to point to our Mr. Bartley as proof that a guy named Jonah actually survived three days in the belly of that whale. One can also see how others would doubt and deny such a thing ever happened.
Either way, it is important that we not miss the point Jesus is making as he drops a reference to the story today. The story of Jonah is similar to what the world is about to experience, although on a much grander scale.
“There is something greater than Jonah here.”
Those who want to quickly deny the story of Jonah would be among those who also want to deny the story of Jesus surviving three days in his tomb.
I think it’s important to remember that biblical stories like Jonah can be both historic and symbolic. Noah’s Ark. Plagues on Egypt. Three wise men following that great star above Bethlehem.
We should not be so quick to reject a story because it simply sounds too incredible to fathom. After all, the story of Christ – the very foundation of Christianity – probably sounds too incredible for many others to believe.
As a very wise Father John Echert once wrote on EWTN’s excellent website:
“So my approach is to accept the Bible and Jesus at face value and recognize that just because I have not personally experienced three days in the belly of a fish, thank God, that does not preclude Jonah in the belly.
“The same God who raised Jesus from the tomb can certainly raise Jonah from the belly of a fish – which is the greater miracle?”
