From the Morning Scriptures

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 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. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 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. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

–Jonah 3:1-4:4 (TNIV)

Here we see a vivid contrast between God’s goodness and grace compared with human folly. God calls Jonah to be a prophet to the hated goyim, foreigners and pagans, and Jonah reluctantly obeys, but only after he had a close encounter of an unpleasant kind with a fish. Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria which would ultimately conquer and deport the Northern Kingdom of Israel, repents. And what does Jonah do? He pouts! Instead of rejoicing that God had used him as an instrument of his salvation to the Gentiles, a function that was consistent with God’s original call to Abraham and the Jews, Jonah wants no part of it and is disgusted with God.

Now before we get too uppity and start criticizing Jonah and his people, we need to remember that we are just like him. How often do we Christians talk about mercy and forgiveness and then when given half a chance to extend both to others, we don’t want to do so?

Don’t believe me? Think about a time when someone you don’t (or didn’t) like asked for forgiveness from someone and received it, and you got disgusted by it. How about the sex offender who is really trying to turn the corner? How about the repentant adulterer? Do we really want them to receive God’s forgiveness and mercy or do we really want to see them get what they deserve? What about the braggart who is suddenly humbled and consequently sees the folly of his ways and repents? Are we willing to cut him some slack? Are we happy that he has repented? What about the athlete who falls from grace and then makes a serious effort to repent? Or the minister who succumbs to temptation and likewise tries to repent? What about this guy if he ever were to repent? Are we willing to forgive them and work to restore them or are we secretly delighted to see them get theirs?

Of course, when we are unhappy when others receive justice and mercy, we fail to remember that we are just as profoundly broken as those who got caught. Ours might not be the same sin. We might not be molesters, murderers or the like. That notwithstanding, none of us are perfect in God’s perfect eyes and all are in desperate need of his grace. But thankfully God’s symbol of justice is the cross of Christ for those who come to him in faith and true repentance.

Think about these things because they will give you keen insight into the state of your pride, especially if you are quick to ask for forgiveness and mercy when it is your turn to receive both. Are you quick to do what the Lord requires of you–to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)?