The Way of Jonah or the Way of Jesus

Sunday had us listening to Jesus tell us to love our enemies and pray for them (Matthew 5.43-48).  As we keep at it through the week, and hopefully finding our way to praying for our enemies over the coming weeks, I will look at the strange example of Jonah.  The “unloving witness” to his enemy.  Link is here for the service on Loving our Enemies.

Jonah 1

¹ The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

³ But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

The reaction of one called to go and preach the word of God to our enemies.  Afraid of God’s grace being bigger than us.  Knowing that God is going to give grace when we want retribution and revenge

Jonah 3

¹ Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

³ Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. ⁴ Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

The response of people hearing God’s word, even if it comes with poor motives and with not enough information.  Jonah is trying his hardest to keep them from repentance.  God works grace anyway.

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.”

The response of a prophet who wanted to stay in his anger.  Knowing who God is – gracious and compassionate.  But wanting his own way.

We can look back at Jonah and say that it is different now.  I have reasons for my wanting to stay angry.  But Jonah was in a place where Nineveh was the oppressive enemy.  They were the conqueror.

My Grandmother lived out World War 2 in the Netherlands.  There were German soldiers patrolling the area, looking for people to arrest and punish.  They could have arrested my Grandfather at the time.  But never did.  I think it was because of Grandma.

She saw these German soldiers and felt pity for them.  The Germans were not feeding them well, so she fed them.  They were young kids who were just scared of the ones over them.  She brought compassion in the form of food.  She fed her enemy because it was the way we are supposed to be.

Jonah ends with the sadness that while God offers the same grace and compassion to Jonah, Jonah would rather die than see God’s grace come to his enemies.  The way of Jesus is not easy.  It is hard to love our enemies.  But following this way will be be part of God’s grace to us, and God's grace to the ones we change from enemies to neighbours.

We keep up the work of loving and praying for those we see against us.  And we will be changed.