"Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry that God did not carry out the evil he threatened against Nineveh."
Jonah 4:1
Oh, Jonah, Jonah. One would think, at this point in the story of Jonah, he would be a little more aware. This is after Jonah had refused God's initial request to warn Nineveh and tried to sail away from God. The storm on the sea, Jonah is cast out and ends up in the belly of the whale for three days, before he is spit up onto the shore of Nineveh and God asks him again to warn the city. He does God's will this time and, to his surprise and dismay, Nineveh repents and begins to obey God. God is happy and says the city will not be destroyed. And Jonah? Well, he is mad because he liked the idea of God punishing Nineveh. How short is Jonah's memory of how God spared him, even though he had displeased God too? So, here we are, today's reading, and Jonah is pouting outside the city under his little hut. Aren't we so much like Jonah sometimes? We like to bask in the comfort of being the Good Guy and take a front row seat to watch the Bad Guys get what's coming to them. But it just doesn't work that way if it's God directing the movie. God's love and mercy are the stars of the show, not our little brand of justice. Instead of being thrilled that God is merciful, we find it "not fair." That is, until we find ourselves basking in God's forgiveness. Then, hopefully, we can be grateful. Love, heidi
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