Today we spent our Sunday morning teaching the story of Jonah to the hundreds of my little brothers and sisters I have come to know and love during my time in India. In the book of Jonah, which has recently come alive to me, we read of a man called by God to proclaim destruction upon all who do not repent of sin and turn to God, to the wicked people of Nineveh. Jonah in disobedience to God’s calling hardened his heart to the people of Nineveh and refused to go to them because he did not want God’s love and mercies to fall upon them if they repented of their wickedness and turned to God. So in an effort to keep God’s message from reaching the intended people, which we know if impossible no matter what we do or where we run, we find Jonah traveling in the exact opposite direction of Nineveh to Joppa where he boards a ship which will take him even farther from where God has called him, to the land of Tarshish. The ship finds itself in difficult waters as a terrible storm raises and churns. The men on the ship fear for their lives as Jonah sleeps in the ships hold, below deck. The men on the ship, who were non believers, cast lots to determine who had angered the gods to bring such a storm to fall upon them. When Jonah was identified as the culprit the men asked him who he was and where he was from. He responded, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of Heaven, who made the sea and the land.” The men immediately believed in God’s power and might which led to Jonah being thrown, by his own recommendation, from the ship into the ocean. Immediately God stopped the storm. Jonah is then swallowed by a great fish, where he remains for three days until God commands the fish vomit him out of it’s mouth upon the shores where Jonah is again called by God to go to Nineveh and declare the message that God had given to him. This time, Jonah does in fact repent of his disobedience, travels to Nineveh, and delivers God’s message to the people, “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed.” But still, Jonah did not deliver the message in love for his words show that his heart remained very hardened towards sharing the message at Nineveh. We see the people of Nineveh repent of their wickedness immediately and God spares them form the destruction he had threatened. Jonah responds “Didn‘t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to anger and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I‘d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
It’s awakening to me to find so many parallels in Jonah‘s rebellious behavior and poor attitude with my own thoughts and actions towards God and those he has placed in my path. Yet it’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one of God’s chosen children who have dropped the ball when God calls us to join in His revolution and proclaim His message. That even when His children make excuses like Moses or run like Jonah, God is “slow to anger and filled with unfailing love.” He remains patient with us and uses His great power and authority to (gently and if necessary harshly) rebuke us and guide us along His perfect path.
Jonah was good at portraying that he was in right standing with God but his actions and his heart revealed that he was far from reflecting love and grace, God had so graciously bestowed upon him, to those around him. He had hoped that the people of Nineveh would not repent of their wickedness so that he might witness God’s wrath and see that they would “be destroyed” for their sins against God. Jonah had placed the focus on himself and began missing opportunities to grow closer to God. He was called to share his relationship by loving and helping others understand what was keeping them from God’s grace. But instead, Jonah simply stopped loving God’s children and began choosing himself who was worthy to become a child of God.
I’m challenged to:
reach out to those who oppose me when they oppose God
reflect the love and grace that God, in his unfailing love, has bestowed eternally upon me
live a life of love that aids the lost, even my enemies, to the grace and salvation of Christ
spend time sharing and living life with the people I (in my own wickedness) withheld the Good News from, which in turn will build a community of people who need to hear it the most
and surrender everyday that He is God and I am not.
One of the most wonderful lessons I’m learning is that when you reach out and spend time with the poor, the downtrodden, the sick, and the lame, you meet ordinary people. And the oppression we only hear about, or read about, instantly gets a face and a name. Jesus tells us that Kingdom of God is for these people. These men, women and children are in desperate need of a savior! They are hungry for the Good News! Shane Claiborne writes in his book Irresistible Revolution, “I truly believe that when the poor meet the rich, riches will have no meaning. And when the rich meet the poor, we will see poverty come to an end.” I am a believer! As a “rich” man in this world, who has met too many poor people in India, I will live differently forever because my brothers and sisters are in need! I have been given an opportunity to give sacrificially to serve those around me that have so little and I’ve been missing my opportunities. I’ve been running from God in the opposite direction of His calling on my life, blending in with the other rich people I know that need the Good News but they’re not hungry for it. How do I reach them? I don’t!! Because that’s God job.
Jesus said,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Is the Kingdom of God for the rich who have turned their backs on the God of all creation? They’re rich! They don’t need a savior when there busy saving money in big savings accounts! They're prepared to save themselves if something happens!
They need a Jonah! to prepare them for receiving Jesus!
But the poor, the orphans, the prostitutes, the blind, the lame, the lepers, they know they need a savior! I hunger and thirst for justice in India. These are the same people scripture tells us Jesus came to be with so it’s no surprise that I am being called to them too!
They need a Moses who will humble himself from wealth to poverty to lead them to God's promises! I'm so glad that our God knows my weaknesses and has handcrafted my strengths! I don't strive to become a Jonah or a Moses but I strive to be more like Christ!
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