Jonah and the Mystery of God’s Mercy
Part 5: Lesson on Compassion
This is a summary of my notes for a 6-part Sunday School lesson I recently led. It is an adaptation of my previous posts on Jonah along with some points based on the book, The Prodigal Prophet by Time Keller.
Having just obeyed the command of God to preach the message of destruction and seen the people respond with repentance, Jonah remembers and rekindles his displeasure at the mercy of God being lavishly given to the city of Nineveh. All those old feelings of hurt, anger, injustice were that were never dealt with in the first place are bubbling up to surface and are about to explode. It is time for Jonah’s final lesson on compassion and mercy from his loving and compassionate God.
Self-Righteous Anger
The Collapse of Jonah
In what should have been a moment of joy and praise about God relenting from the promised destruction of an entire city, we find Jonah exceedingly displeased. He was so exceedingly displeased with this outcome that he even described himself as “angry.” Angry at having to come on this mission; angry at the repentance of Nineveh; angry at the gracious mercy of God; but ultimately just angry at God. The hard lessons Jonah learned while he was running from God have all but disappeared from his memory and he is only left with disappointment and anger at his merciful God. The penitent prayer of Chapter 2, while he was alone in the belly of the fish, feels like a distant memory. All but forgotten at this point in the story.
The Theological Problem
In his anger and disappointment, Jonah prays and we are let in on the ongoing argument that Jonah has been having with the Lord all along. The question Jonah really wants to ask God is, “How can you claim to be a God of justice and allow such evil and violence to go unpunished?” If we’re being honest with ourselves, we want to ask God this same question. There are times in each of our lives where the holy will of the Lord makes zero sense to us. I dare say, that there are many times in our lives when God leads and provides in a way contrary to our perception of who he is. He breaks out of the box that we try to keep him in and reveals his true character. More often than not this is in stark contrast to our very own character traits, perceptions, and preferences.
“For I knew that you are…” In his prayer, Jonah is expressing the correct doctrinal truths about the character of God. It should shock us to read that Jonah is intimately aware of the liberal mercy of God. It should shock us even more to realize that Jonah is using this truth of God’s character to justify his sinful indignation, bitterness, and anger. Do you ever find yourself at odds with the Mystery of God’s Mercy? Does the thought of God’s extravagant mercy and grace lead you to anger as you view the when, where, and on whom he lavishes it? Tim Keller says, “If we feel more righteous as we read the Bible, we are misreading it.”
The Heart Issue
Our theology, our doctrinal understanding of the character of God, deeply impacts and shapes our hearts. There is a sense in which all theological problems play themselves out not merely in our intellects (in our minds) but in our commitments, desires, and identities. How we understand the nature and character of God informs our every decision. For Jonah, there was something that replaced God as the main joy, purpose, and love of his life. When the One true God of Israel did not act in accordance with Jonah’s idolatrous expectation, he was broken. Not a good broken leading to repentance, but more like an illusion being dispelled. This broken Jonah was so overwhelmed with despair that he asked God to take his life away. Jonah did not want to live in a world where the God of his preference was not the same as the God of the Bible. Jonah’s hatred for these “others” was so deeply rooted in his heart that he did not want to live in a world where it was possible for these enemies to receive God’s mercy and grace.
God’s Simple Question
“Do you do well to be angry?” What is God getting at with this question? It seems like a simple question with a simple answer. If God is asking me this question, the answer is “No, sir” – 100% of the time. This question once again shows how patient God is in his pursuit of Jonah’s heart. This is a question from a loving father to his stubborn child in the middle of a temper tantrum. God wants Jonah to examine his heart and motivation. There is clearly a disconnect between the doctrinal head knowledge of Jonah and his doctrinal heart knowledge that is in desperate need of correction.
How often do you (or God) ask this type of question to yourself? Do you meditate on the Word of God and let it examine your heart with critical questions or do you sit and wallow in your indignation and self-righteousness? Letting the poison of bitterness and anger grow and infect every area of your life.
We need these simple questions to be asked of us. These simple questions, used rightly and in love, are powerful agents of change in our lives.
How do you relate to Jonah at this point of the story? How do you see yourself being reflected in Jonah’s actions so far?
Irrational Anger
Verse 5
Jonah is still harboring thoughts of the city’s ultimate destruction. Although he has seen the response of the people and has voiced his displeasure at God choosing to relent from the promised destruction, Jonah goes up on a mountain that overlooks the city and builds himself a shelter from the sun so he can watch and see what will become of the city. He is still holding out hope that God will bring wrath upon the city and he wants to have a good observation point to watch the destruction. Jonah is still content to sit in his self-righteousness hoping that God will see it his way and “do the right thing” according to Jonah
I’m sure nobody in this room has ever been this stubborn and adamant about their “rightness” even in the face of God clearly closing an opportunity. Unfortunately, I can remember plenty of times when God provided a clear answer to my prayer that was contrary to my intended outcome. Did I humble my heart and give thanks to God for his wisdom and providence? Unfortunately, I often just keep trying to make it “right in my own eyes” and using different avenues and lanes to get my right result.
Verse 6
God’s grace toward Jonah, even in his anger, disappointment, and sin, is overwhelming as the Lord brings the tender mercy of a shade plant to soothe Jonah’s discomfort. It’s a wonderful reminder to all of us that our Father loves us and cares for us. Even in the difficulties of life that we sometimes bring upon ourselves through rebellion and sin, God still brings these tender little mercies to show he is with us and that he cares for us.
Yet, we, like Jonah, often miss one obvious point. The small detail that God appointed the plant. You see, Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. He wasn’t exceedingly glad and thankful to God who provided the plant to ease his discomfort. Jonah simply looked at the plant and was exceedingly glad. He looked no further than how the plant brought him comfort.
Don’t we have this same tendency as well? We are sometimes more focused on the gift instead of the gift-giver. We are quick to acknowledge the blessing that has been brought into our life, but not always so quick to acknowledge that this blessing was a simple grace from the Lord given out of love and kindness.
Verse 7-8
Do you think God is trying to get Jonah’s attention? Let’s review God’s actions…
- The Lord hurled the great wind upon the sea.
- The Lord appointed the great fish to save him in the water.
- The Lord appointed the plant to provide shade for him.
- The Lord appointed the worm to destroy the plant.
- The Lord appointed the scorching east wind.
Jonah’s heavenly Father is pursuing him through many different signs and wonders. All of this to wake Jonah up from his self-centeredness and self-righteousness. This hard-hearted prophet is unwilling to loosen his grip on these idols that lead him away from the Lord. Instead, Jonah actually ends up with an even firmer grip as he sees this good gift from the Lord being taken away. Instead of repenting, Jonah gives in to despair and anger asking for his life to be forfeit. He would rather die than admit that he is in the wrong.
Verse 9
God repeats his simple question from earlier and asks Jonah if he does well to be angry for the plant. Jonah, at this point, doubles down on his irrational anger and answers the question put before him by saying, “Yes… I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” Although this is quite a shocking response to come from a prophet of the Lord, there is something there in his honesty. Jonah doesn’t just give a platitude or an unfelt “Christian” answer. He doesn’t hide behind a verse that he doesn’t mean at the moment. He lays before the Lord his full-bodied, unfiltered anger at all that is happening around him. Everything that he doesn’t understand or like!
Verse 10-11
The time has come in Jonah’s story when the Lord stops asking questions and speaks directly to the heart of Jonah. In the moment of Jonah’s irrational anger, The Lord uses the object lesson of the plant to teach our rebellious prophet about compassion.
The Lord starts this lesson by pointing out the good and right response of Jonah to take pity on the plant that came up and perished in a single day. Jonah felt pity for the plant in which he did not labor nor make it grow. He took pity on the plant for it provided shade for him from the scorching sun. His pity and compassion were dependent upon the perceived value that the plant provided him.
God reveals to Jonah that he should not just have pity for this simple plant, but he should have compassion for the 120,000 people who live in the city of Nineveh. People who were at enmity with the Lord. People who did not know what they were doing. People who were ignorant of this merciful and compassionate God.
What is the compassion that the Lord is speaking of in this response?
- The word translated as pity or compassion in verses 10 & 11 is a picture of grieving over someone or something, to have your heart broken, to weep for it.
- Real compassion, the compassion God is speaking about to Jonah, is the voluntary attachment of our hearts to others. Put another way… the sadness of their heart makes us sad. It affects us. It moves us.
This is the lesson for us as well. Where is our compassion for the lost and the hurting? Not just a doctrinally right theology of compassion that understands and can explain the character of God, but a heart that beats in tune with the heart of God. Our hearts should feel this same compassion as we live in this world and encounter all sorts of people in need of our risen Savior.
How do we put this compassion into action? What are some practical steps we can take today to show the compassion of Christ to those around us?