My 2019 Bible reading plan was from The Bible Project. This non-profit team makes creative videos that break down and explain the books of the Bible and different stories, themes, and topics found within it. All of the videos in this year-long plan were so fascinating and are worth watching. However, when I got to the book of Jonah, the way they explained it hit me between the eyes. It was one of those, “Wow. I NEVER thought of it that way before,” moments.
Let me explain what they pointed out and just how powerful of a thought it is.
If you grew up going to Sunday School or if you’ve just read the Bible in general, I’m sure you’re very familiar with the story of Jonah. But for the sake of this post, I’ll sum it up anyway:
He was a prophet called by God to go preach to the wicked city of Nineveh, but instead chose to rebel and run the opposite way. He boarded a ship headed for Tarshish, but that ship got caught in a storm. Believing his rebellion to be the reason for the violent, punishing storm, he had the crewmen throw him overboard. Then, a big fish—possibly a whale—showed up to swallow him whole. Three days later, after he repents and begs God to spare him, out he goes—puked onto the shore by the creature! Yuck!
Resignedly, he heads to Nineveh, gives possibly the shortest sermon ever preached (it was literally one sentence long), and suddenly the city’s occupants earnestly mourn and repent of their evil ways, even ordering their livestock to be clothed in sackcloth.
As if being swallowed by a whale didn’t make Jonah’s story crazy enough, he does the exact opposite of what you’d think he’d do next. One would think he’d be blown away by Nineveh’s heartfelt response, right? The great and merciful God of the universe sent him to extend mercy to the capital of Assyria, and every living thing in the city responded with a desire for that mercy! That’s awesome! Not to Jonah, though…
He’s angry. He marches off to the hills outside the city and waits for God to smite it off the face of the earth. Surely God isn’t going to actually forgive those wicked people, he thinks.
It’s hot, so God provides Jonah a large plant to take shelter under, only to send a worm to destroy it, leaving Jonah back in the blazing sun. The man throws a fit! He mourns the loss of a silly plant, caring more about its life than he does about a city full of souls.
And that’s how the book ends.
With Jonah pitching a fit in the sand.
I’ve always thought of the ending of this story as sad and unfortunate. How could Jonah be so callused and fail to appreciate the mercy and compassion of God? But what the guys at The Bible Project pointed out is that this story isn’t just about Jonah. It’s about us.
That’s what hit me so hard.
This short little book was written to serve as a mirror for us to hold up to our own faces. Do we appreciate God’s compassion and mercy for those around us, or are we Jonah? Do we selfishly reserve God’s mercy for ourselves, accepting and expecting Him to forgive us of our wrong doings, but when it comes to others—especially those who have done us wrong—we suddenly expect only judgement and punishment for them? Are we OK with God loving our enemies?
We know God is a merciful God. We intellectually accept this and say it and sing it all the time. But there are people out there that hate us, that have hurt us, that have hurt others, that have done unspeakable things. And God loves them too. Not just us “good” people. He loves our enemies just as much as us. When you stop and think hard on that, it can be a hard pill to swallow. That person that betrayed you, stabbed you in the back and you hope you never see again—yeah, God loves them just as much as He loves you.
Are we OK with that?
Or do we care more about our forgiveness, our petty comforts and desires (like Jonah’s all-important shade plant), more than we care about souls that God wants to forgive?
Wow. Makes you think, huh? I know it makes me stop to examine myself. I realize that it’s all too easy to fall into the same trap as Jonah. It’s easy to discount God’s goodness towards others when we know what awful things they’ve done. But it’s a dangerous, deadly trap. We don’t know what happened next to Jonah, but it’s possible that he spent the rest of his days wallowing in anger and bitterness, seething with hatred for the people of Nineveh. It’s possible that he died with those things in his heart.
What a terrifying prospect that is. To be someone called and chosen by God, and yet fall into the trap of hate, selfishness, and a condemning spirit, thereby condemning no one but ourselves in the end…
Stop and ask yourself that question today: Am I OK with God loving my enemies? Please. Don’t cry over a silly plant when you should be weeping over lost souls and rejoicing when they come home. Don’t expect God’s mercy for yourself and withhold it from others.
Don’t be Jonah.
Before you go, here’s the YouTube link to the video I mentioned, which inspired this post. It’s SO WORTH the watch!
