Date: 03 Jan 2000
Time: 22:22:04
Jonah is probably the most successful prophet ever and the most successful evangelist in the Old Testiment. His words were responded to in a powerful way, people changed their ways.
Jonah was unhappy because he did not really want the people to repent and be spared the impending distruction A. because he did not like these people and B. these people were _____.
Please help me answer this question. I know the book of Jonah is an answer to questions created after the return from exile in Babalyon. thanks. Manzel
Date: 05 Jan 2000
Time: 03:59:15
Jonah didn't actually expect the people to return to God and turn from their evil ways. He was expecting his prophetic efforts to fail.
This makes me wonder about my own church: we're always talking about how we can help our little church grow, how we can bring in new members, and we are frequently engaging in efforts designed to bring fresh faces in the door. But what if our efforts were phenomenally successful? Can we handle such success? After all, new people mean new ideas, new ways of worshiping, and once they start participating in church committees and on the church board, we won't even recognize our own church anymore. Are we prepared to handle such a successful mission? Are we more afraid of success than we are of failure?
A part of the problem for both Jonah and my church (or any other church, I suppose) is that for our mission to really succeed, we must give up some ownership of that mission. Jonah succeeds in his mission, but in order to succeed he must give up his right to say, "See, I told you so." He must be willing to let someone else run the show.
Danny in CA
Date: 05 Jan 2000
Time: 23:24:00
Jonah was given a second chance and was still bragging and screaming. Jesus gives us many chances. how many times have we failed and found second chances. ron
Date: 12 Jan 2000
Time: 06:10:17
Good point, Danny in CA! That really gave me a new way of looking at Jonah. We give lip-service to evangelism, but if the truth be told, we are just a bit too comfortable with the people we have and the way we've always done it. We run our programs and events but secretly we really hope that they aren't too successful. That might upset our comfortable little fellowship.
--Rod in Pixley
Date: 12 Jan 2000
Time: 18:24:54
Jonah was written in reaction to the second Temple's oppression of other nations, specifically the religious establishment's banning of marriage with foreigners and subsequent attempts to exile foreign wives. The story is meant to raise the question in listeners minds, 'Why does God care about Nineveh, those foreigners?' It is read in the synagogues on the afternoon of Yom Kippur, reflecting on the process of repentance Jonah also became a major symbol of early Christians, perhaps associated with baptism, and associated with death and resurrection. A congregant recently anonymously left an article on my desk entitled, 'Blacks Should Help Themselves.' I want to find a way to talk to that person in the same way that the writer of Jonah is talking to the religious leaders of his day. Through a story that catches their attention, maybe gets them laughing, and then makes them realize that they are laughing at their own prejudice and closed-mindedness.
Why do we resent the energy given to the liberation of others? Why do we resent the possibilities God creates in our lives? Because it requires a change in our own lives as well. Finally, this story is not about the conversion of Nineveh; it's about the conversion of Jonah and the attempt at converting the leaders of that day to greater tolerance and compassion.
Date: 14 Jan 2000
Time: 23:48:01
JG in WI
I take a conservative approach to Jonah. I believe it was written by Jonah, the guy who actually went through all this stuff.
Now an interesting point is, consider what we think of Jonah. He ran from God. He preached under duress. He complained endlessly. We get a real bad feeling about Jonah. But take note: Jonah was speaking of himself. He was, in fact, confessing his sin.
Date: 15 Jan 2000
Time: 03:39:32
Who says the Bible isn't funny?
I see the book of Jonah as satire, as others have been noting about the content.
Even the FORM of the book invites us to draw the wrong conclusion about what's going on. First: It's a 'call narrative'! (I know how this goes...) No, the prophet isn't behaving correctly! Wait, it just changed into a 'Psalm'! (OK, I do know how these work...) Wait, it's a 'call narrative' again! (O good, I see now, it's in chiastic structure with the psalm in the middle, now the call narrative will work out fine....) Wait a minute, he's miffed--what this about the plant? I don't get it, what's going on with this storyteller, doesn't seem to know how a story is supposed to be constructed! What happened to the chiastis structure? Now Jonah's using all those traditional descriptions of God as if they are accusations. What, "cattle"? And then it ENDS with a question mark? That's no way to end a book of the Bible! (Or a sermon?)
The use of traditional, known forms, over and over leads us to think we are "safe" and have the parameters of the message defined. "I know how this is going to work." Then the form is busted! But we fall for it again and again. This breaking of the literary form is another way of asking(!): who is in charge of this story? Or our story?
It's really a shame not to read the whole book to the congregation. It's not very long.
Sara in GR,MI
Date: 16 Jan 2000
Time: 21:07:56
Manzel:
A Good question and something to consider on Sunday afternoon. I would say he thought them beneath them. Persons who were not as worthy as him. Persons who he would rather not exist. Like the Pharisee in the temple, he could always say, "I'm glad I'm not like them. They wont reform, they are unsavable, so I don't have to complete with them for righteousness. They are beneath me, and so I don't have to worry able them"
Shalom
Pasthersyl
Date: 17 Jan 2000
Time: 13:21:52
Thank you, Sara for your thoughts. I have challenged my congregation to look at scripture stories from "Outside the Box" and realize that sometimes a new perspective will teach us that the old form or what we expect isn't always what is there or to be. The writer of Jonah is writing outside the box so why not try some thinking there too? Deke of the North
Date: 17 Jan 2000
Time: 23:43:24
Eugene Peterson's Under the Unpredictable Plant will really enrich your view of Jonah, and do great things for your concept of your own ministerial vocation. kbc in sc
Date: 18 Jan 2000
Time: 01:31:40
Danny in CA writes: Jonah "was expecting his prophetic efforts to fail." It goes further than that, I think. Jonah was *wanting* his preaching to fail. In 4:2 Jonah gives the reason why he fled from his call - because he knew that Yahweh was a "gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing." Jonah fled from his prophetic call because he wanted the people of Nineveh punished. His fear was not that his preaching would fail, but that it would be succesful, and the people would turn to the Lord and be forgiven. To me this asks questions about whether there are people or groups we consider unworthy of the gospel of grace. This goes much further than our churches being comfortable places where we don't want to be disturbed by new ideas. Its about our capacity to judge and condemn others. Chris from down under.
Date: 18 Jan 2000
Time: 02:15:32
I find it very interesting to consider the idea that Jonah wanted to fail. I have always thought of him being afraid of the mission that he was sent to undertake. In my preparations for the writing of my sermon I think I will play around with the idea of relating those times when we also try to sabatoge the "mission" of the church by not making any changes to old patterns of action and understanding. Even when those patterns are harmful and hurting others. In one of my churches this is Annual meeting Sunday, and a good time to hear how we often expecte to fail and then are disappointed when we succeed. Why it it that success is a frightening thing? Can't we trust that God is as Jonah says in chapter 4:2.
Ilene from Manitoba
Date: 18 Jan 2000
Time: 03:58:24
The funny thing is, God made a liar out of Jonah! "Forty days more ...", and after forty days pass... nothing! Could it be that the very relish with which he announced their condemnation motivated them to change? No application in mind, just a thought. -ss in PA
Date: 18 Jan 2000
Time: 15:12:27
Each time this passage cycles through the lectionary I yearn to present the entire story, but think it needs a more creative presentation than simply reading it from start to finish. Does anyone no of a resource using readers theater, litany (for chapter 2), breaking up the reading with song or any combination of those that might be effetive?
Cynthia
Date: 18 Jan 2000
Time: 16:23:39
I recognize the Jonah within me. There are times when I clearly hear the calling of God to speak to the evils of the world, I want to avoid this engagement, but am compelled to do so then I half heartly comply. To my amazement, the people hear the message and respond! Reminds me of the scene in Man of La Mancha when Don Quixote finishes the battle and slowly gets to his feet. "Victory?" "Victory?" then "Victory!" at first he can't believe it, then he claims it.
Sometimes I meet folks who have really heard the Gospel message (That I thought were forever lost) and I ponder "Victory?" Yes Victory!
A W-G rocky coast Me.
Date: 18 Jan 2000
Time: 17:44:03
Where do we locate Eugene Peterson's "Under the Unpredictable Plant"? Sounds interesting.
Rev. A. in Higganum
Date: 18 Jan 2000
Time: 18:58:30
Manzel, I have a somewhat different view of Jonah than the S. School image that many of us grew up with. Jonah is not afraid to witness. Jonah is a fearless prophet. He wasn't afraid of the sea, something that the Israelites were terrified of. He wasn't afraid to be thrown overboard. Why then didn't he go to Nineveh?
The reason why he didn't go to Nineveh was because he didn't want them to repent. If they didn't repent, then God would destroy them. If God destroyed them, then they wouldn't be a threat to Israel, Jonah's country. Remember, Assyria is a growing empire that will soon wipe out Israel and deport many of them in 722 BCE. Jonah wants to save his country from that tragedy. He's willing to die for his people! That's why Jonah is such an important story for Jesus!!
I along with kbc highly recommend Peterson. He's very easy to find at cokesbury or amazon
Larry cny
Date: 19 Jan 2000
Time: 08:39:32
Jonah and Nineveh had a lot in common. Look at what they needed to do and look at what Jonah needed to do. Do we have a lot in common with the people where God has placed us? R. in Rossville, GA
Date: 19 Jan 2000
Time: 19:30:45
Cynthia - The Whole Peole of God curriculum for this Sunday has a couple of wonderful ideas. One is a "Jonah Rap". The other is a participatory story about Jonah. By that I mean that the audience gets involved in the storytelling. They are the sound effects. Example: When, in the story, you say "Jonah" - they say, "No way!". When the word "Nineveh" is said, they say, "Those people!" (Ok "those" is italicized.) I plan to use this second illustration as my children's sermon. It's a great way to tell the story to those who have not heard it as well as refresh the memories of those who have. Good luck! Karen in MO
Date: 19 Jan 2000
Time: 19:41:53
Does anyone else see some parallels to the Prodigal Son here? It occurred to me that the older brother was probably very angry with his father and his younger brother when the father split up the share of the estate. He wasn't standing around waiting for his brother to return. In the custom of his time he may have torn his garment and disowned his brother. He certainly wouldn't have been willing to go to him and try and convince him to return. Now the son changes his ways and comes home and the older brother finds out the father wants to forgive him and take him back. The brother would rather go sit under the gourd plant then celebrate his return. He pouts when the father comes out to talk to him. He's angry and the father said to him "should I not be concerned over" Nineveh which was lost and now is found? Can I confront my feelings of anger when God's mercy is so far beyond my concept of mercy? Thank God it is because my time is coming when I will want the fullness of His mercy and compassion despite my failure to do what He asks of me. DeaconTom in SC
Date: 19 Jan 2000
Time: 22:00:28
I find it interesting how God used Jonah, even in his reluctance. He didn't want to preach to Nineveh so he ran. And in his running he meets up with a bunch of guys on a ship that worship other gods. And when the storm hit they all started praying to their gods. When they confront Jonah, he tells them that he worships the "LORD...who made the sea and the land." He finishes his story (witnessing) by telling them to throw him overboard. They show mercy and continue to try to row out of the storm in an attempt to spare Jonah's life. Finally, they pray to the LORD, they make sacrifices to Him, and they promise to serve Him. Not even meaning to, Jonah converts the whole ship! What an awesome God we serve! His grace abounds, even in and through a reluctant servant. MD in IL
Date: 20 Jan 2000
Time: 02:09:00
I have a comment concerning where to find E. Peterson's book, "Under the Unpredictable Plant." It is an Eerdmans book and is the third in a larger series which considers our calls as servants of the word. The first two books are "Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work," and "Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity." All three are good reads, although the final book, "Under the Unpredictable Plant" is by far the best. It helps us to consider Jonah's calling--and our own--in a new way. This new way is not comforting to read, but it DOES push us to consider, like Jonah, what God is doing through us INSPITE of us. HF in MN
Date: 20 Jan 2000
Time: 04:25:09
I'm presenting the whole story of Jonah as a first-person sermon. I'll enter in costume and recall my experiences. Under the title, "Getting Rid of Jonah," the sermon will urge the congregation to broaden their ideas about God -- and about people they tend to consider outsiders. MTSOfan
Date: 20 Jan 2000
Time: 13:21:06
As to the first question "why?" If it were only so simple as they were different people. The reason Jonah did not want to bring the message to the N. is becasue N. was the capital of the Assyrian Empire that had carried out barbaric practices again the Israelites. Jonah morned the torchure of his people. Had anyone opened a Bible dictionary, you would have known this. RevRon
Date: 20 Jan 2000
Time: 23:18:07
Note to Manzel -
Personally, I take the story to be quite literal, but then I'm Baptist so you'd expect it. These people, the Assyrians, were brutal. They piled skulls of their victims in front of their city (Ninevah) walls. Two enormous piles of skulls greeted Jonah at the gate of Ninevah. This nation was threatening his own land, the northern part of Israel. Naturally, he wanted their destruction and preached it.
JG in WI
Date: 21 Jan 2000
Time: 05:12:20
To: MTSOfan May I make a suggestion... One very powerful children's spot that my wife and I wrote was similarly a first person presentation, in costume. The costume included sardine oil all over the head. Jonah enter's from the back, and then sits next to various people in the congregation and whispers "40 more days and ________ (fill in the blank) is overthrown)
Good luck! LW in Oz
Date: 21 Jan 2000
Time: 15:44:30
Having trouble posting my contribution. A few days ago, I submitted that my sermon this week will be a first-person presentation in which I'll portray the character of Jonah. In that way, I'll tell the entire story of the book. I'll have the liturgist read an introduction to the book itself, followed by the reading of the lectionary pericope. Then, I'll appear in costume. The sermon will urge people to re-think their idea of God's expansiveness, as well as their idea of who is an "outsider." I'll say that, when we assume that the people we consider to be outsiders are also considered that way by God, then our prejudices are fed and become uncontrollable. I hope this posting, if it appears, is timely enough to help someone! MTSOfan
Date: 21 Jan 2000
Time: 15:52:57
LW in Oz: Couldn't see my own contribution, but I got your reply. That sounds like a great idea -- very graphic! Thanks! MTSOfan
Date: 21 Jan 2000
Time: 16:25:28
I know it's late in the week, but I am thinking of approaching the Jonah and Mark texts in terms of what we leave behind in following God. I notice in the Mark passage that the would-be disciple leave "immediately." Simon and Andrew leave their boats. James and John leave their father Zebedee. Conversely, in the Jonah passage, we find a man who leaves immediately, but he leaves God behind instead. I think I want to move in the direction of addressing the radical call to follow involving the departure of one life for another rather that what many do, which is carry their old life with them into their discipleship. Any thoughts?
Gary E. Maguffee Morgantown First Uniterd Methodist (cross posted to Mark passage)
Date: 21 Jan 2000
Time: 16:28:48
Just one powerful illustration from Peterson. Peterson uses Tarshish as figure for the temptation for all us to go minister someplace glamorous. We read about these Tarshish churches all the time: the churches that are booming enthusiasm and young people and programs. People are excited and willing to work. Now Nineveh on the other hand, Nineveh is a place of sloth and sin. In Nineveh, people are stuck in the past, unreceptive to our great ideas. In Nineveh the furnace doesn't work, the minister is overworked, underpaid and unappreciated. So even though God calls us to Nineveh, we get out of there as soon as we can and look for a geographic solution--we blame it all on the congregation and set sail for Tarshish, a much more exciting place to do ministry, a land of milk and honey.
Peterson follows St. Benedicts example and recommends a vow of stability in addition to the vows of poverty, chastity and obediance. He stayed in one place for 30 years.
I don't think everybody should stay in one place for 30 years. But I think he's right that the grass often looks greener someplace else.
Larry cny
Date: 22 Jan 2000
Time: 02:37:36
I am struck by the fact that God is patient with both Jonah and the Ninevites. God gives Jonah a second chance to obey; even helps him with a free ride to his appointed place of prophecy. And God gives the people of Nineveh a second chance; despite their evil ways a prophet is sent them and they have the chance to repent before they are destroyed. I wonder how many people in the pews are less than confident that God gives people a second chance. How many people wonder if God will give a second chance--after divorce, abortion, unwillingness to serve, when their children are absent from the church, etc? The example of those heroic disciples from the gospel, leaving everything "immediately" to follow the Lord, is intimidating to the rest of us who follow God less than "immediately," but largely in fits and starts. Will God give us a second chance, like Jonah, like Nineveh?
Date: 23 Jan 2000
Time: 00:32:44
Jonah heard himself muttering a curse as he pulled his hood over his head and tightened the wrap of his priestly robe around him as he pointed his donkey South toward Samaria. Damn this cold, wet wind, and damn yesterday's storm which made me too late to go my usual route to Jerusalem. Now there was no time to go around the east side of the Jordan River and through Jericho and back west to Jerusalem. Now there was no avoiding this short route right though this land of cursed Samaritans.
Jonah's legs were as tight as the sinch around the donkey's belly and he pointed his chin like some stone armor resolute against anything that would deflect him from Jerusalem. Whenever he rode through Samaria, he could hear in his mind all the things he thought the Samaritans would say to him if he ever listened. He knew they thought worshiping in the great temple in Jerusalem was no better than worshiping God on the mountain or near Jacob's well. He knew Samaritans doubted that Pharisees and Sadducees had any right to consider themselves pure after their exile in Babylon and the Persian's help in rebuilding the temple. Well they were wrong! They were the bastards, they had married the Kennites, the in-laws of Moses, how could they possibly be the true Jews?
Just riding through their land made his lips pierce so tight upon his Stoney face that Jonah knew he was ready for any storm. He did not want to be here, he did not want to think about them. He did not like the reflection he saw in their eyes and heard whispered in all those earthy ways their daily life presumed to be in tune with The Almighty, The God of Israel. Of course These Dogs thought it was silly for priests like him to make all these trips to Jerusalem to be delegant in the way they guarded their faith and protected it from the contamination of heathen ways. Samaritans would never understand that being God's chosen people meant being different, being set apart. Chosen people were covenant people and they must maintain the covenant and guard their purity because that was their only hope that they would one day rise again. They would too, they would be great nation that with God's help would overthrow these cursed Romans. Jonah felt his blood getting hot as thoughts of the Romans ignited the anger with in him. Then as usual his next thought was that passion that he preached of how one day they would rise again and they would not stop when they wiped out the Romans, they would have their vengeance on those Assyrian devils who had massacred their beloved Israel and enslaved the survivors and tried to pollute their souls with worship of foreign gods. One day Yahweh would lower the boom on Ninivah and those Assyrians devils would feel a sting that would make it look like Yahweh was just warming up with the pharaoh in Moses's day
Suddenly the road ahead was so bright that even squinting a glimpse of the road was too bright. Jonah looked away. The road to the right and behind him was dark and full of shadows. They sky was still covered with ominous clouds. His donkey bolted backward as if some mountain wild cat were in the road. His pulse raced as Jonah collected his senses and discovered they were all magnified.
He smelled the air, so clean and fresh after the rain. Other than the smell of his own donkey and his own sweat, no creature was near. This was certain. The great silence was barley ruffled by the pounding of his own heart and Jonah could even hear the sound of his donkey's heart beat and its rapid breathing. But that was all there was. No bird made a peep. No leaf could touch this permeating stillness. There was no wind, no heat or cold, no vibrations and it was as if the closest human being was a million miles away.
By now Jonah's eyes were accustomed to the illumination and in that moment in time, he studied for an infinity how the road before him illuminated his way. What seemed strange was not the fact that he could see the way so far ahead, or the fact that this path instead of going to Jerusalem took a clear turn radically to the east and he knew it lead to Ninivah. No the strange thing that made him shake his head, convulsing in laughter was that he was not really surprised that the path lead to Ninivah. Buried in the back of his mind, there had always been some strange urging for him to go and do his preaching in Ninivah. Jonah rolled on the ground, howling with laughter until he noticed the wide eyes of his donkey staring at him as if filled with both skeptical alarm and condescending tolerance.
He picked himself up already vowing to himself that he would never be this fool he felt called to be. He would get hold of himself and never again, even for a moment, entertain this crazy thought that God wanted him to go preach to those Assyrian devils in Ninivah. Even his donkey could see the insanity that would consume any priest who thought God would deal with Ninivah with the preaching of the word instead of a conquering army or fire and earthquakes beyond anyone's worst nightmare.
No! Curse the Ninivites. Yahweh was the God of the Jews and Yahweh's Word was holy and would never be defiled by being part of a dialogue with those devils in Ninavah! No, a thousand times "no". Forbid it that the word of God should ever be spoken to the Ninivites. If he were called to curse the Ninivites from a far, Jonah would have gladly spent every waking moment, in the Jerusalem temple on his knees wailing and cursing the Ninivites till his throat was to dry and horse to vibrate the very groans, curses and prayers his heart would continue to pump forth. With all this anger ablaze in his heart, Jonah could have carried his donkey all the way to Jerusalem and gladly sacrificed him at the alter along with everything else he owned.
Another thought dawned in Jonah's mind and he was again grasping an new handle on reality. He realized that he was bargaining with God and that when his body had used up this surge of energy, he would be powerless to argue with the call of God. He would put a stop to this helpless feeling. He knew himself to be a master of positive thought and he would not leave himself vulnerable to the call of God.
He dug is heals in to the donkey as they headed west toward Joppa. It was the only way to go. He could not go to Jerusalem without everything screaming of loyalty to Yahweh. He could not go home and ever again enjoy being a respected priest and rabi. He could never again preach without this strange call haunting him and challenging everything he stood for in maintaining the purity of being God's chosen people, purity that came only by strictly keeping the commands of the covenant whereby they were special. They were God's people and he was their God. He was THEIR God. Never would the Word of God belong to those devils in Ninivah. Lightning flashed in his mind and left this thought: He was in a state of war!
God had singled him out and cut him off from everyone. No one could be his alii against God, OH he was not really against God, he was just in a no win situation and the only way to keep any sanity was to just not think any thoughts about God. Going west, to Joppa, he could catch a sailing ship for the deep blue sea, surely that was the best of all possible places to hide from God.
You know the story. Even on board ship with foreigners who worshiped foreign gods on this deep blue sea the power behind the storm belonged to god. When all the sailors prayed to their various gods for mercy from divine anger, any idiot using the strangest toys for discernment could clearly see Jonah was the object of this divine anger.
Jonah told himself he did not care. Clearly there was no hiding from God and even these worshipers of foreign gods were compassionate men trying sincerely to seek divine mercy while being as compassionate as whatever appropriate religion would allow them to be. There was no use trying to deceive anyone. Even at this moment of his heart's greatest numbness, Jonah felt there was no reason why these foreign sailors should perish with him. He was not really trying to preach, he simply told them the truth that God is the god of land and of sea; of everything and every place. The sailors all worshiped Yahweh and ever being the preacher, Jonah simply told them, so the way for you to be saved is to throw me into the sea.
In saying this Jonah was ready to give up all caring and ready to be a sacrifice in submission to this relentless god who had asked the unthinkable of him. Down into the cold, wet, black sea, darker than a thousand midnights in this wet, bottomless pit more vast than the Sahara, Jonah was ready to taste death. And he did...
One eternity is a long as another when you are at the bottom of a black sea at the edge of the world. This void which was supposed to be as far from God as one can get was indeed void but it kept getting stranger. It was foreign and it swallowed him alive. This was foul beyond anything he had imagined. Jonah clenched his fists and gritted his teeth and defied this totally foreign being to digest him and consummate this black death. Every cell in his body would become part of this totally foreign entity. If only, he could have been safe with those foreign sailors, the sound of any one of their foreign languages would now feel like such a great welcome home. If only... if only...
Suddenly, that great son of slime coughed him up and on dry land too. The sun was shining and the air, the air... The air itself was a gift from heaven and with every breath, Jonah felt more alive. With every breath he drank in the necator of .... Necator of... Of God's own breath! Ok so the world and everything in it belonged to God. Ok so he himself belonged to God and God was still illuminating the pathway for him to go to Ninivah. So he went but he was not going to put his heart into it.
With no effort he was in Ninivah and half heartedly he identified himself as a messenger from Yahweh. Still reeking of the Bemoaneth, Jonah stood on the soap box proclaiming that Ninivites were sinful slime that Yahweh was going to flush from the face of the earth in fourty days. Despite his vow to put none of his hear into it, Jonah found himself rather enjoying this taunting message and the new freedom he felt knowing that any fear he felt was not really a fear of these foreigners. Having been in the belly of the bemoaneth, his worst fears had raveged his being and now those damned Assyrians who had ravaged Israel generations ago were going to get theirs. So with perfect coldness he told them graphically how their great city would be reduced to ashes. After delivering such an urgent message, a lesser preacher would have checked into a local inn for a Sunday nap but not Mr.. Kool.
In his own detached way Jonah went beyond the city gates and sat down by himself to wait the coming fireworks. But with quiet moments those haunting thoughts caught up to him again. What if God made a fool of him? What if God had no plans for the Ninivites but just wanted to test his loyalty? Then lightning struck again. Jonah had a new thought which thundered through his mind. No, that could never be. Nahhh... No one really listens to preachers anyway and certainly not foreign preachers who smell like dead fish. No, there was no use torturing himself with that ridiculous thought that the people of Ninivah would take him seriously and respond in some way pleasing to God. Oh God, "No. No, never"!
From within the city came a deafening quietness. Noise and commotion had changed to... Changed to... O God, no; these people don't observe the Sabbath! Why had they changed their loud clothing for sac cloth? Why were they praying and fasting? Any flashy religious ritual they might have had, would be ok as long as it was not a Sabbath observance. He could tolerate anything now, anything except but....
He could tolerate anything except for it turning out that the god they worshiped was really Yahweh!! Jonah could more easily see himself roasting in hell than to have the damned, Assyrian Ninivites being covenant people with Yahweh. His anger burned within him and Jonah wondered why anyone would ever want to live in a hell hole like this. He looked for shade and found only a few inches of shade at the edge of a very small ravine covered with camel dung, well at least it was outside the gates of the city.
Jonah had no idea that his own anger was like the manure which fertilized the growth of a miracle. To his delight a plant shot up from the camel dung. At first it seemed to be a magic beanstalk, the kind which grow fairy tales. But then Jonah thought of the mustard plants from home, which grew as straggly shrubs but sometimes turned out to be pretty awesome trees. Jonah was delighting in the wonderful shade of this awesome plant which had been covered in manure yet responded as if it were the most wonderful organic fertilizer in the world. This awesome plant, this awesome, miraculous plant.
Suddenly Jonah knew... it was a miracle. And he was filled with horror. IN rage he blinked knowing he was about to see the finger of God. This stubborn, impossible hounding God was trying to tell him something he knew he did not want to hear! Sure enough, a worm began eating the glorious plant and it had no more substance than cotton candy or a mirage. It vanished more quickly than it had materialized. And Jonah found himself weeping for the plant. He wept uncontrollably, "God please spare the plant, be merciful for the plant has done nothing to deserve destruction" On his knees and sobbing, Jonah cried out again and again, " O God, please, I loved that plant, it wasn't hurting anybody and it was like a friend when I am so far from home, God, it wasn't much but it was like home to me, it was like my only friend and you took it away, how could you destroy it as though it were nothing".
It seems redundant to say that Jonah was beside himself with grief. But indeed Jonah was so wrapped up in his own struggle and his own desperation to preserve the righteousness he thought was his covenant with God, that he could not look through the eyes of compassion to see anyone in Ninivah as a fellow human being. So God put it in words he could understand. "Jonah, you have so much compassion for this plant, which is indeed my creation but these people and their homes are also my creation. Each one of them is no less a miracle that is this plant. Jonah, rejoice with me for these your brothers and sisters were lost and they are found, they were dead in your eyes but they are alive again. Jonah, I ask of you only one thing, ‘love me enough to share my compassion and my joy with all my people"!
So dear friends, the story of Jonah ends with one simple calling, "Love me enough to share my compassion and my joy with all my children". This is only one simple story and the response is up to you dear friend, This story will not tell you who God is but it may reflect something you already know to be true in you heart. Is our God really "their God" too? Blessings to you all. Manzel
Date: 23 Jan 2000
Time: 01:10:58
Dear Cynthia... My brother and I (both preachers) tried reading the whole story to various movie soundtracks It worked really well- within the Youth Ministry (I'm not sure if my traditional church will go for it)
Jurassic Park (all by john williams) Jaws Indiana Jones Theme
record them as you read so you know the cues... start w/ Jurassic... the whale sequence is Jaws... and spitting out going to Ninevah is Indiana Jones.
- Pastor Gumby