Jonah, the Anti-Hero

Sermon Theme: Jonah wanted to see God crush his enemies, but God had other plans. It is the nature of God to love His enemies, and that enemy-love is part of His calling on our lives as followers of Jesus. 

Reading Theme: This week we will move around into a variety of books of the Bible, drawing out the theme of God’s mercy. 

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to access the reading from  Jonah 4:1-11

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You will find the Sermon Notes for today’s message here.

REFLECTION

Jonah, the Anti-Hero

by Elaine Pierce

The Bible does not show us story after story of "heroes of the faith" who go from strength to strength. Instead we get a series of narratives containing figures who are usually not the people the world would expect to be spiritual paragons and leaders. The Bible is not primarily a series of stories with a moral, though there are plenty of practical lessons. Rather, it is a record of God's intervening grace in the lives of people who don't seek it, who don't deserve it, who continually resist it, and who don't appreciate it after they have been saved by it.  

-Tim Keller

Rev. Tim Keller's quote above is a good description of Jonah, don't you think? He resisted God's assignment, “go to Nineveh and preach repentance to the people who live there.” Instead, he flees in the opposite direction, and you all know the story of Jonah in the belly of the Great Fish. Then, reluctantly, he goes to Nineveh. He preaches repentance, "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." (Jonah 3:4). And much to Jonah's amazement, the people repent. The King sends out a proclamation and demands that the people "give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows, God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." (Jonah 3:9).

Indeed, God shows mercy. He does not bring the destruction he had threatened. And what is Jonah's response? Read chapter 4. Instead of being filled with gratitude for God's mercy and goodness, Jonah is angry. The rest of the chapter takes place over about 24 hours, when God provides a vine for Jonah as shelter from the blistering sun. Then, he causes the vine to wither, and Jonah says he is ready to die, and he deserves to be angry with God.

The chapter ends on an unfinished note. God tells Jonah that he, God, decides when a vine grows and when it dies, and he decides when to offer mercy to a city when the people have repented. Jonah didn't think they 'deserved' mercy and forgiveness. But it is not his decision, is it? God's purposes will be fulfilled, and he uses sinful people like Jonah, yes, sinful people like you and me, to work his will.

Nineveh was not a godly city. It was filled with pagans. Jonah didn't think the Ninevites deserved mercy. Do we ever make judgments about others that perhaps we ought not to make? Do we decide that someone, or some group, isn't 'good enough' for our church, for our faith? Are we ever angry at God for showing his favor on people we don't think deserve it?

I'm writing this on Election Day afternoon.  Perhaps by the time you read this, we will know who our next president is going to be. Perhaps we will be very angry that the other candidate wasn't elected. Perhaps you (or me) will think they didn't deserve to win. We can choose to accept the results, to pray for our leadership, and to show grace and mercy to friends who don't agree with us. 

Jonah was certainly not a 'faith hero.' He had many faults, as do all of us, including our leaders. Let us determine to pray for our nation, our church, our friends, that God's will be done. I conclude with the last paragraph of Pastor Steve Turnbull's prayer that we all received on Election Day:

And we pray for your Church on earth.  Stir up in us your Holy Spirit, and make us one as you are one, that the world may believe in you.  Lead us in your way, Lord Jesus, that the world may see your love in us and know that we are yours.  And when we suffer in this world, may it be with patient endurance, full of faith and hope in you, who alone have overcome the world.  

In Jesus' name, Amen

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER

Sundays - PEACE - Blessed are the Shalom-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. We confess that we have all sinned and fallen short of your glory, O God. We have broken the peace and wholeness of your good world. Forgive us, lead us, and restore us. Reform us into peacemakers instead of peace-breakers.