The Lesson of Jonah

JONAH WAS GREATLY DISPLEASED AND BECAME ANGRY. Jonah 4.1.

God sent prophet Jonah to go and preach to the people of Nineveh and ask them to repent of their great wickedness. He refused to go and got into a real mess in the belly of a whale in the deep sea. He even caused the big fish to have ‘a tummy ache and vomit!’ Having suffered punishment for disobedience, Jonah decided to go and preach to the Ninevites.

The result was one of the most successful crusades in all the history of evangelism! Obey God and do ‘what pleases Him instead of what pleases you’ and you will see miracles happen! The whole city of one hundred and twenty thousand idle-worshippers, together with their king, fasted for three days, repented and turned to God! But, Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. Can you imagine that?

Sometime ago a rapist father was set free by a judge because of the lack of proper evidence submitted by the prosecutors. The NGOs and the Womens’ groups especially, became very angry and voiced their protest aloud. They had good reasons to be upset because they were afraid that he might continue to rape others!

But Jonah’s situation was different. He was much like the ‘elder brother of the prodigal son’, displeased and complaining on his return to the father’s house! Have you ever felt pity for the elder brother? I must admit, I have felt so and even thought that the father was rather unfair! The problem with Jonah, the prodigal’s brother, and also us is the same. We are interested only in us and in receiving all that we can from God. We are saved. We have the father’s house, His fellowship and all His many blessings. Our attitude often shows that we do not care what happens to all the others who are sinners! Won’t we be very happy if all evil doers just perished from the face of the earth! We would enjoy a safer and better world!

If only we know the heart of God and His love for the wicked and the sinful, we also would be like God, “He is patient …, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (Pet 3.9). You and I would greatly desire like God and pray constantly that “they all may be saved!” (1 Tim 2.4). O, Lord! Give me such a passion for sinners!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, give me a heart like Yours so that I would begin to love and care for those who are far and near to me but living in sin and idolatry, and plead for their salvation more than for greater blessings for myself!