The story of Jonah is a short book of the Bible, but it gives a powerful message about God’s mercy and a reminder to us about how we should view those to whom we are opposed. The book begins with God giving a message to the prophet, Jonah, to go to Nineveh to announce His judgment because of the wickedness of the people. Jonah does not want to do what God asks and departs on a boat going in the opposite direction. While he is on the boat, there’s a great storm and Jonah convinces the sailors to throw him overboard, and then he is swallowed by a large fish. While he is in the fish, Jonah prays to God and then after 3 days, God tells the fish to spit Jonah out on the dry land. The Lord gives the same message to Jonah again and Jonah obeys this time and goes to Nineveh. He shares a very short message to the people there saying, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The people of Nineveh believed this message from God, sent through Jonah, and repented from their evil ways. God saw their actions and did not bring the destruction on them he had threatened.
Now this is where the story gets interesting and where we should really pay attention. Jonah gets angry and admits that this is why he fled and went the opposite way from where God had called him to go. In chapter 4 verse 2, Jonah complains, “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.” And God replies to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”
Jonah speaks about the mercy and loving kindness of God, but he cannot understand why God would want to show this grace to the very people he considers to be enemies and who have done such wicked things. Instead of showing joy and gratitude about these characteristics of God, he shows contempt and anger to those he opposes, and even to God who is willing to forgive them as well. How do we respond when those to whom we are opposed are given a second chance? How do we respond to others who do truly repent and change their ways? There are times that we understand and can even justify the frustration of Jonah towards these actions to those to whom he is so strongly against. The response of God to Jonah and to us is that judgment and mercy are really God’s to decide. Let’s commit to being the kind of people who can be both obedient to God and glad about God’s loving kindness to others, even to those who we may greatly oppose.
– Amy Givens, Director of Youth Ministry
