Jonah is an interesting character...a prophet; a racist; a man who does the exact opposite of what God told him to do; a man who admitted running from God but refusing to address the reasons that he did it. The list could go on and on.
Why would one praise Jonah? Because unlike us, Jonah is honest with himself and honest with God about why he refused God's command. Remember Jesus's last words to His followers before He was taken up to heaven? Jesus told us to go to all nations.
God told Jonah to go to Ninevah and Jesus told us to go to all nations.
Jonah got on a boat headed toward Spain. We sit on our couches in our comfortable American homes, eating our American food, basking in our American freedom.
Jonah got swallowed by a fish (which God used to force Jonah into obedience). We get swallowed by our pride and comfort (which we use to force God to leave us alone).
God forced Jonah to go to Nineveh. God allows us to ignore Him.
Jonah admitted that he didn't want to go to Ninevah because he was a racist. We say that we aren't "called" to missions and therefore we justify our ignoring the commands of Christ and we sit by while people all over the world are dying without the saving grace of Christ.
Jonah laments when the Ninevites repent. We never get to see that happen so who knows how we would respond.
I have often wondered about Jonah. Why is he in the Bible? Why would God want us to read about this racist prophet who refused God's command? Perhaps I now know why.
Perhaps God wanted to show us that even though we may not feel "called" to missions we are still commanded to go.
Even though we may not want to love our neighbor we are still commanded to love.
Even though we may not want to pray for our enemies we are still commanded to pray.
And amazingly God still uses Jonah. God doesn't require us to want to do all of the things that we are commanded to do. He does, however, require us to do them.
So the next time that you look in the mirror think about what you are running from. And think about why you have chosen to ignore the commands of God. Maybe if you are honest you will learn something about yourself and that may be the first step to truly being a follower of Christ.
2 comments:
Jonah was a racist? Please explain...
I guess I don't see that in the verses...
Perhaps I am reading into the text but in chapter 4 Jonah got bent out of shape because God's forgiveness of of the Ninevites. Jonah didn't want God to given them His forgiveness; he didn't want God to show them compassion. Jonah would rather die than to see God forgive them.
At the end, God chastises Jonah again because Jonah did not want God to show compassion and pity on the Ninevites.
So, for whatever reason, Jonah didn't like the Ninevites. I see that as a form of racism.
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