Jonah 4; Matthew 28:16-20 | Sunday 20th November | Pastor Rolly Stahl
Jonah – the story so far…
In Jonah chapter one, God sends Jonah to preach in the city of Nineveh. But Jonah has grown up hating the Assyrians and fearing their atrocities. So what does Jonah do? He sails for Spain! God sends a raging storm. The sailors reluctantly throw Jonah overboard, and he ends up having a 3 day retreat inside a huge fish. The theme of chapter one: You can run, but you can’t hide.
In chapter 2, trapped in the underworld (sheol), Jonah cries out to the LORD; and God hears his prayer. God commands the fish to spew Jonah up on dry land. In his relief Jonah declares: ‘My salvation comes from the LORD alone.’ (Jonah 2:9 NLT). The theme of chapter 2: When you are down, look up!
In chapter 3, God commissions Jonah a second time. Arriving at the city, he declares: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed.” (Jonah 3:4 NLT). And what happened? The Ninevites believed God. All of them – from the king on his throne to the household slave – put on sackcloth, fasted, turned away from evil, and earnestly cried out to God.
When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:10 NLT). The theme of chapter 3: Thank God for second chances!
How do you think the Ninevites felt about that? Relieved! Glad!
How do you think God felt about that? Delighted. Glad!
And how did Jonah feel about that? Jonah is MAD as hell!
Jonah throws a tantrum
This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. (Jonah 4:1 NLT). Jonah throws a temper tantrum. Jonah is mad at God for showing kindness to Israel’s enemies.
So Jonah gives God a piece of his mind: “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. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” (Jonah 4:2-3 NLT).
In other words, “It’s just like you, LORD, to do this sort of thing! [1] But I would rather die than see you show mercy to those Assyrians.”
At once we see the difference between God’s heart and Jonah’s heart:
The Lord is gracious and compassionate. Jonah is judgmental and callous.
The Lord is slow to anger. Jonah is quick to anger.
The Lord is abounding in love. Jonah is abounding in hatred.
God questions Jonah: “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” (Jonah 4:4 NLT). Jonah is sitting outside the city – sulking in his shelter. Imagine Jonah stomping his foot in the dust, wanting God to wipe Nineveh off the planet. That’s what Jonah would do if he were God!
Hmmm. If you were God, are there some you’d like to vent your spleen on – or wipe off the face of the earth? Perhaps those who commit acts of terror; or abuse children? Maybe those who exploit others for profit; or those who don’t share your beliefs and values about human sexuality? Perhaps people who cut you off in traffic; or the work colleague who drives you nuts?
When we are full of righteous indignation – wanting God to vent hell fire and brimstone on others, what does it reveal about our hearts? That we’re more like Jonah – and less like Jesus. [2]
The Lord’s lesson to Jonah
God provides a leafy plant to comfort Jonah in the heat. Jonah is very happy about the air conditioning. But the next day, God sends a worm to chew the plant – which shrivels up. Then God sends a hot wind. Jonah gets so hot and angry that he wants to die! (Jonah 4:9).
Then the LORD challenges Jonah about his distorted value system: “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” (Jonah 4:10-11 NLT).
In other words: “Jonah, why are you more concerned about your personal comfort than the lives of your fellow human beings? Why does a single plant matter to you much more than this city of people and animals I have spared? Jonah, why can’t you rejoice that my mercy has reached out to save them… just as I reached out in mercy to save YOU?”
Are we like Jonah … or Jesus?
I find a few questions confronting me:
- What in the world matters most to you? In the words of Spiegel (Lord of the Rings), what would you refer to as ‘my precious’? What in the world is most precious to Jesus? [3]
- What in this world upsets or angers you? What upsets or angers Jesus? (Mark 1:41, 10:13-14) [4]
- What breaks your heart or grieves you? What breaks Jesus’ heart and makes him weep? (see Luke 19:41-44, John 11:33-38, Matthew 26:38). [5]
- Are we more upset by the loss of our ‘creature comforts’ than by people facing a Christ-less eternity? Are we more distressed about our lawn dying than people dying without Jesus?
- In this story, God is also concerned for the animals. Do we share God’s concern for his creation?
- I wonder: Is our loss of joy a symptom of being more fearful about what’s wrong with the world – than hopeful in God’s love for the world …including us?
- Does it offend you that God’s compassion extends to the people you most despise in this world… to those you think deserve it least of all?
Not fair…?
Like Jonah, we can jump up and down and complain: “But God, it’s not fair!”
Hmmm. ‘Not fair’ by whose standards? If you have sinned at any time in your life, what makes you think you deserve God’s mercy more than anyone else?
Surely, if anyone has a right to protest about ‘not fair’, it’s Jesus.
- Was it fair when Pilate found no crime, yet agreed to his execution?
- Was if fair when soldiers flogged Jesus to within an inch of his life and then nailed him to a cross?
- Was it fair that the best Person ever should suffer the worst thing imaginable?
- Is it fair that he took what you and I deserved?
- Is it fair that the punishment that brought us peace fell on him – and that by his stripes we are healed?
- Is it fair that he shares his victory over sin, death, and the powers of evil with people like you and me?
Out of his compassion for you and me, Jesus was willing to take the blame for all our mess ups and failures. He has saved us from destruction; and made us his forever. We call this grace.
Grace is not fair, because like the people of Nineveh, we’ve received much better from God than we deserved. Friends, when I reflect on this, it amazes and astounds me… it exposes my selfish pride… and it softens my heart towards others!
God’s compassion for ALL people
No matter what a person has done, each one matters to God! In his compassion for the world, God wants none to perish – but for ALL to receive his forgiveness and life forever with Jesus.
That’s why Jesus’ calls us to make disciples of all nations. He may not be calling all of us to preach in a foreign country or city like Jonah. Yet we are Jesus’ presence to the people we rub shoulders with each day. It starts with your family and friends; and as we’ve seen in Jonah, it also includes your enemies. Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors (Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:14, 17-21). And he even died doing it – as did Stephen! (Luke 23:34, Acts 7:60).
Regardless of who we encounter each day, showing people the respect, acceptance, and love of Jesus will open more opportunities to talk of Jesus than assuming we are better than them! Our attitudes, words, and actions reveal what is in our hearts – whether it’s the smug arrogance of Jonah, or the compassion of Jesus.
Friends, let’s ask God to transform our hearts to become more like Jesus’ heart. I invite you to join me in your hearts as I pray.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help us to see people through your eyes. Fill our hearts with your compassion for ALL people – including those we find hard to love; and those who do not yet know Jesus. Move us to pray for their salvation – and to not give up!
Help us to love people as Jesus loves them: to take an interest in them, listen to them, encourage them, eat with them, do fun things with them, or look for simple ways to help or bless them. By your Holy Spirit, help us to share your kindness and truth with such genuine love that people’s hearts will be drawn to you.
Holy Spirit, whenever you create opportunities, help us to share the good news of Jesus with gentleness and respect. Where we have failed in the past, Lord please forgive us.
In the authority of Jesus Christ, we cast down and rebuke every spirit of unbelief, timidity, complacency, and pride that hinders your mission. Lord, renew in us a passion to see more people discover and receive the grace you offer ALL people in Jesus. Amen. (c.1630)
[1] The LORD reveals himself as compassionate and merciful: Exodus 34:6. See also Psalm 86:15, 103:8, 116:5 and 145:8.
[2] In the Gospel accounts, who does Jesus get stuck into most? Those who assume they are better than others, like the self-righteous Pharisees and teachers of the law. When Jesus knew that Jerusalem was doomed for destruction, he wept over it! (Luke 19:41)
[3] Human beings coming into a relationship with Him. The eternal destiny of all who have been created in the image of God.
[4] Idolatry – because we become like whatever we worship. Injustice, exploitation, and greed – because by it we hurt others and damage ourselves. Hypocrisy and hardness of heart. Preventing people from getting to know Jesus.
[5] Broken people, broken hearts, people without a hope or future, the consequences for those who reject him.
St John's Lutheran Church, Tea Tree Gully 
What a good ending to a very interesting story. Enjoyed it so much because it brought so many aspects of our lives into it.
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