Are we like Jonah?

 

Jonah Praying Before the Walls of Nineveh by Rembrandt

found here.

As we all know, this past week was a tough one for the United States...the remembrance of the horrible attacks on 9/11, the killing of the consulate workers and US Ambassador in Libya, the Teachers strike in Chicago and the continuing violence and protests against the US across the world.

It's easy to stop and think, "what in the world do we do?" For some, it is easy to respond with anger and bitterness and to keep the violence going, even if it is only in our hearts and minds. But we know from Jesus' words in Matthew 5 that this is just as bad as the actual actions themselves,

 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell."

As I was reading and rereading some of our Daily Walk Bible readings from this past week I was challenged by the Old Testament book of Jonah and the prophet's actions and attitude and most of all by God's loving response to the most powerful and evil nation at that time, Assyria. Understandably so, Jonah wanted judgment, he wanted God's wrath and power to be on display on Israel's evil neighbors. God gave Jonah his assignment in 1:2, "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are." God knew Nineveh's sin and wicked ways and he wanted to offer a second chance to them through Jonah's preaching.

We all know the ensuing story from our childhood Sunday School classes...Jonah disobeyed God and ran away in the opposite direction. As a result, he found himself in a storm which the Lord caused (1:4) and then in the belly of a great fish which "the Lord had arranged" (1:17). God's plan of redemptive preaching to the Ninevites would not be thwarted! After his seeming repentance (2:1) and "earnest prayer" (2:7) the Lord delivers Jonah out of the fish and he obeyed and heard his duties for a second time (3:1; cue the Mission Impossible music, or at least that is what Jonah would've thought!)

Jonah's message to the citizens of Nineveh was one verse long, 8 words in length ... "Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!" And what happened? "The people believed God's message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow" (3:5). As a result, "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" (3:10, NLT). 

But how did Jonah respond? I suspect our attitude, if in his place, might have been the same ... "this change of plans greatly upset Jonah and he became very angry" (4:1).

In our world today many of us are like Jonah and we have many "Ninevites" that we hate and wish to see God bring his wrath and judgment down upon their heads. And let's not delude ourselves. As I was reminded in my prayer time today, for many people in the world the U.S. IS their "Ninevites" in their mind! So will we, will the world, be angry like Jonah?

Or will we pray, truly pray, that God, who is "merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love" (4:2), will send numerous messengers of His love, grace and forgiveness out into the world? The Lord said to Jonah, "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?" (4:11, NLT).

In our own ways, in our own circumstances, whether it is against a world dictator or against a family member, or church member, or next door neighbor, we ALL need to turn away from our Jonah-like ways and extend forgiveness. "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy-seven times" (Mt. 18:21-22).