Some fundamentalists will use Jesus' reference to Jonah as a proof that the Old Testament story of Jonah being swallowed up by a huge fish is literally true. That, of course is nonsense. The story of Jonah is precisely a story. It is a story made up to make fun of so-called "prophets", at a time when prophets were no longer much respected by the people. Jonah should have known God is the Lord of both sea and land and so to run away to sea to escape from God was utter foolishness.

Jesus had great imaginative powers and he created memorable parables from ideas that the people were familiar with. So, in a similar fashion, as a great teacher, he used the familiar story of Jonah to make a point.

We should not waste time and energy in wondering about the great fish and Jonah in its belly. We should rather contemplate Jesus as a great story-teller, marvel at his wisdom and his literary dexterity and so learn from him the spiritual wisdom to see ordinary everyday things as signs of God presence.