My pastor just finished a series on Jonah last night. I love the story because I could always relate to Jonah - what fishes have I been swallowed up in?
One of the things that we talked about last night is how silly Jonah looks. The dude just throws a fit and falls in it at God. He pouts and stomps his feet. He gives himself a time out and sulks outside the city. God asks Jonah if he has a right to be angry and Jonah shouts back, "YES! In fact I'm so angry I want to die!"
Dramatic words and his reaction can seem immature - almost laughable. Because God leads us to learn through the scripture that it's obvious Jonah had no right to be mad. Because Jonah didn't create any part of the situation, he has no right to the outcome and his job is only to rejoice at God's hand.
But as I'm listening and we're all sort of laughing at Jonah, I thought - what if Jonah had a point? In Jonah chapter 4, he gets really mad that God redeems the city then he sulks outside of it. God makes a vine grow to give him some shade. Jonah is stoked about the refreshing shade. Then God sends a hot wind and a worm to eat up the vine. Then Jonah gets PISSED. God asks him - what right do you have to be mad? And that's when Jonah stomps his feet and tells God that he has every right to be mad.
We laugh because it's a vine and maybe because we can all relate to the hissy fit Jonah is throwing. I started to think about some high school friends who very recently lost their 18 month old to an accidental drowning. It was a freak accident and truly tragic. What if the vine was their little girl? What if the city that got redemption was the pool fence installer who didn't install the fence correctly? Their little girl was a gift from the Lord that brought them great joy. Then that gift was taken away. What if the fence installer gets grace and mercy instead of justice? Wouldn't they have a right to be mad? What things in our lives do we rejoice in but have been taken away?
What I love and wrestle with in this scripture is that God makes it clear that we don't have a right to be angry about the gifts He gives us that ebb and flow in our lives. They're just that - gifts. We don't have ownership over them because we didn't create or earn them. But when Jonah gets really mad because it can feel very much like God's gifts are ours that we have a right to, God doesn't tell smite him or demand that he stop feeling mad. He just gently asks the question. Have you really thought about this Jonah? And don't you remember that my greatest priority is loving my people?
God is a gentlemen and responds to Jonah's anger with a reminder about his compassion. He doesn't get angry back, He just creates the space for Jonah to have a heart shift and it seems that God waits patiently for this to happen.
