Jonah, The Rest of the Story

Jonah, The Rest of the Story

Jonah 4:1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

     Jonah had just suffered the most traumatic event in his life. Caught up in the belly of the whale for three days and vomited out onto the beach, so he reluctantly went to prophecy to the people of Nineveh that they needed to repent. He didn't like these people, he thought they were evil and in all probable scenarios he was probably right about them. But God is His compassion said go and tell them to repent. 

     How many times in life have we just gone through a situation where we were swallowed up by situations where people have betrayed us and it seems to come out of nowhere like a drive by shooting and the person leaves you bleeding and dying on the side of the road and you are all alone like Jonah. God comes along and picks you up and places you somewhere safe. It might not feel like you are safe. It might be a stinky situation like the belly of the whale but it carries you to a place of freedom where you can finally crawl up on the beach, clean yourself up and take a fresh breath. THEN God comes along and says I want you to forgive that person. And you say I knew You were going to ask me to do that because You are a compassionate God and it is better for me to die rather than forgive that person.  

     I have had similar conversations with God, a lot :) It is very hard to come to terms with the emotions that are so overwhelming when someone has treated you badly, especially those that are close to you and you trusted. 

Jonah 4:5  Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

     So in our self pity we go out and try to shelter our hearts, find some comfort in the shade and wait and see what happens to the person who has hurt us so badly. Amazingly enough, the person usually by all appearances seems to flourish and prosper and does not even seem to care what they have done to you. This adds fuel to your angry fire. Then God tries to comfort you because He is a good Father, and grows a vine around you of people who do love you. But then because of your anger and unforgiveness the worm of destruction comes along and starts to separate and cause those who love you to keep their distance. And you are even more angry.

Jonah 4:9  But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Moral of the story, we are not the creator of life. When someone wrongs us, we do not easily recognize the big picture of their worth to our Father no matter how bad someone has hurt you, in God's own words, "there are people who cannot tell their right hand from their left". We are not to be concerned about their sin or iniquity and we should not be holding things against them. God will judge them but by the same principle He says,

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Not an easy lesson, but forgiving those who have hurt you is freeing yourself from the responsibility of carrying their sin. Be free today. Ask God to show you the areas you might be harboring unforgiveness and then ask for Him to forgive you, just as you are forgiving those who have hurt you.