Revisiting Jonah

Dr. James Mayfield
Tarrytown United Methodist Church

January 22, 2006

Text: Jonah 3:10-4:4

Sometimes we grasp the words of the Bible so tightly we miss the profound humor that is there. I think this is often true in regard to the story of Jonah. Those who treat this story like a CNN report tend to miss the point and wind up talking about what kind of fish could swallow a human being and then belch him onto a beach, and miss the point completely.

The word “Jonah” means “dove,” and the dove was the symbol of Israel . I am convinced this story is a profound metaphor for talking about the people God has chosen, the people who are Israel , the people who are now the new Israel , the church. In short, when I read this story I discover a rather humorous tale tweaking the nose of those of us who call ourselves the people of God, Israel or the church. So, listen to the story one more time, this time with a sense of humor and a keen lookout for profound truth.

God said to Jonah (to Israel , to the church, to people such as you and I): “I've got a job for you; go immediately to Nineveh and tell them their sinfulness is so great, the stink has made it all the way to heaven. And now they are going to get what they deserve.” Nineveh was a major city Assyria (something like New York is to the USA ). Jews such as Jonah, had little love for Assyria because Assyria had so completely defeated the 10 tribes of northern Israel they were never heard from again. Jonah did not need God to tell him Nineveh was a city in which there was much evil. Jonah knew that, and he understood what God wanted him to do, but Jonah did not want to be God's missionary prophet. Besides, the message he was being asked to deliver was one that was not likely to be well received. Jonah knew what God wanted him to do, but Jonah did not want to do it, just as from time to time we know what we ought to do but refuse to do it.

So, Jonah did as we do – or at least as I often do. He went in the opposite direction. He went to Joppa and bought a ticket to Tarshish. Tarshish was about as far from Nineveh as Jonah could go in the world as he knew it. But when Jonah tried to get away from God's claim on his life, he had anything but smooth sailing. The ship was hit by a terrible storm. The sailors did all they knew to do to keep the ship afloat. They threw all the cargo overboard. They prayed to the various gods they worshipped. But the storm continued to rage.

In the midst of the storm while everyone else trying to save the ship, Jonah was fast asleep. Can you imagine that? Sleeping through the storm. And yet, who of us has not done that -- been asleep while in our community and nation all sorts of hell is breaking loose. We live as if nothing is really wrong, insensitive to the danger we and the people around us are in.

The captain woke Jonah. This is the way it often is. Those outside the church have to wake the church-folks to tell them we are all in trouble and to get involved in helping. Among the requests the captain makes is asking Jonah to pray to his God. Interestingly, there is no mention in the story that Jonah did any praying at this point.

The storm grew worse. In those days storms were understood to be signs of divine anger. So, the sailors said, “Let's roll the dice to see which of us has made the gods angry.” Well, when it was Jonah's turn, he threw “snake eyes.” “What have you done?” they asked. And he told them: “I am trying to get away from the Lord God who made heaven and earth.” This really scared the sailors.

“What should we do now?” Jonah knew his refusal to do as God asked had placed the lives of those around him in danger. He knew what had to be done. “Throw me overboard and the sea will calm.” These sailors were good men; they did not want to do that, and they rowed with all their might trying to make it back to land. But the storm just got worse. Finally, in fear and trembling, they threw Jonah overboard, and the storm ceased and the sea calmed.

God had a huge fish swallow Jonah whole. For three days and nights Jonah was in the belly of that fish – praying. Who of us cannot identify with this part of the story? We avoid what we know in our hearts we ought to be doing. That is to say, we run away from God. The consequences catch up with us, and at last we begin to pray with great sincerity. “God, help us,” we pray. “God, help me.”

I think it is significant to notice that Jonah's prayer was not: “God just let me out of here and I will do whatever you want.” Jonah's prayer was a confession of how far he was from God and his longing to be in the presence of God once again.

On the third day, Jonah, the man called “Dove,” was belched up on a beach. Once again Jonah was aware he was in the presence of God and once again God told him to go to Nineveh and denounce their sinfulness. This time Jonah went.

Nineveh was a huge city. The story teller says it would take three days just to walk across it. Jonah did that, and as he walked he told the people “In 40 days Nineveh will be overthrown, destroyed.”

Then the people not only surprised Jonah, they even surprised God. The people turned to God and began to cry out to God. They confessed their sin and repented. It was their hope that God would change his mind and turn from his anger and decide not to destroy them. When the news of all this reached the king, he joined the people. The king got off his throne, took off his royal robes, put on sackcloth and covered himself with ashes. He ordered the whole country to join in confession of sin and penance.

When God saw that the people were not merely confessing their sin but actually turning from their evil ways, God did change his mind about destroying Nineveh . One might think Jonah would have experienced some sense of satisfaction realizing he had played a part in the redemption and transformation of the people of Nineveh . But he was not a happy camper. In fact he was resentful and angry. “God,” he prayed, This is just what I said would happen when you first told me to come here. That is why I tried to go to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 1. I just wish I was dead.”

When we think that the people who have hurt us are at long last going to get the punishment we are convinced they deserve and then they change their ways and it appears to us they are not going to have to pay in pain for wrong they have done, we tend to be rather upset. To us, it looks like a miscarriage of justice -- especially if we have been involved in denouncing the wrong they had done. When we are longing for justice in the form of revenge, we are not interested in their redemption.

Neither was Jonah. As a good Jew, he saw Assyria and the people of Nineveh as enemies. He was aware of the evil they had done. He had not wanted to get involved with them, but since God had forced him to tell them about the divine consequences of the wrong they had done, now he wanted to see them catch the hell he believed they deserved. He was not interested in their redemption; he was interested in revenge, in their being punished for their evil ways.

When God forgave them, Jonah was more than a little upset. God said: “Do you really think your anger is justified?” Jonah did not answer. He went outside the city, made himself a shelter from the sun, sat down and waited to see what would happen. Maybe God would change His mind again.

God caused a vine to grow that covered the shelter and Jonah was pleased and comfortable in the shade. But as soon as Jonah was cool in the shade, God had a worm attack the vine and it withered. The sun came up and the hot wind blew, and Jonah became faint from the heat. The loss of the vine just added to Jonah's sense of resentment and anger. Again he wished he were dead.

God said, “Now you are upset about the vine.” “You bet I am,” said Jonah. Then God said, “You are upset about the death of vine in which you had invested nothing. Should I not be concerned about this city of more than a 120,000 people who do not know their right hand from their left -- to say nothing of all their livestock?” 2.

And there the story ends. The people of Nineveh had changed. And the unspoken question hangs in the air: Will Jonah? Will Jonah let go of viewing justice only in terms of revenge? Can Jonah embrace God's primary concern for redemption? Nineveh repented, changed. Will Jonah? Will we?

Let us pray. God, help us learn what we need to learn from the story of Jonah. Amen.

Pastoral prayer:
Thank you for the gift of rain on dry ground and sunshine that makes plants grow. Thank you for happy times of laughter and pleasure, and thank you for enabling us to make positive use our trials and challenges. For all the ways that you are at work in our lives, we give you thanks. Forgive us for being so focused on ourselves and our own agendas that we fail to notice the signs of your presence in the world and in our lives. Forgive us for being so involved in trying to get ahead we forget to seek your will and fail even to try to follow your guidance. God, it is easy for us to become so focused on ourselves that we live as if we are center of the universe. In our self-centeredness and pride, it is difficult for us to be compassionate. And when we are hurt, our arrogance cripples our ability to forgive. God, motivate us to strive to live as you intend us to live, listening as you would have us listen, serving as you would have us serve, sharing as you would have us share. God, enable us to live as Jesus was teaching us to live when he taught us to pray: “Our Father …”

1. Jonah 4:2

2. Jonah 4:11