I didn’t see that coming!
Jane Denniston
September 22, 2022
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Jonah 4: 1-3 (NRSVA)
1 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 3 And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’
Rather than rejoicing in the success of his mission, Jonah is angry that God changed his mind. This may be because the people of Nineveh were Assyrians, who were enemies of the Israelites — Jonah didn’t want God to have mercy on his enemies. Indeed, he was so angered by God’s compassion and generosity towards them that he would rather die than see them prosper.
This is a very ‘New Testament’ moment – Matthew 5:44, ‘I tell you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.’ Loving our enemies is a tough call. We may think that we don’t have any enemies, but I wonder if you, like me, find it just a little bit hard when we see someone we dislike prosper in ways that we would like? I confess that envy is one of my besetting sins, although I wouldn’t take it to the lengths that Jonah does; right at the moment I have too much to live for! Instead, I try to remind myself that God has blessed me and concentrate on giving thanks for that — although it can be hard work!
Today’s reading illustrates another great truth — we are all equal before God and the barriers that we create between ourselves and those we struggle to like, that humanity creates between nations, races, and genders, are anathema to God. It is also worth remembering that, due to these differences, all created by humans, climate change, among other things, has a disproportionate effect on the peoples of the world. The poor always suffer most.
PRAYER:
God of all people,
forgive us for the barriers we erect
between our brothers and sisters,
between those of different creeds and colours
between us and those who are different from us.
Forgive us that the highest price
is always paid by those
with the fewest resources to meet the cost.
We have a vision of a different world,
given us by our Lord.
An upside-down kingdom,
where the poor are filled, and the rich sent empty away.
Guide us in all that we do
as we work to make that kingdom a reality here on earth. Amen
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