God's Unrelenting Mercy

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Read Jonah 4: 1-11

Jonah had a problem with God that many of us have today. Jonah could not grasp God’s unrelenting grace, mercy, and compassion for ALL people. The pagan people of Nineveh lived in wickedness giving in to idolatry, prostitution, and witchcraft. Jonah grew up fearing the Ninevites and wanted to see God destroy them. So when God called Jonah to preach to these pagans, he ran away. Jonah did not want non-Jews (Gentiles) to receive God’s favor and blessings. The Ninevites were “those people.” Eventually, Jonah went to Ninevah and the people were open to God’s message and they repented. God responded in mercy by canceling his threatened destruction. God’s compassion sent Jonah into what I call a “hissy fit!” He became angry, complained to God, and decided he’d rather die than see the wicked Ninvetites forgiven. He then ran away again to sit under a shelter to sulk and wait to see what would happen to “those people.” I guess Jonah was certain God would listen to reason. God had other plans for Jonah. We read in our passage today of God’s object lesson for his reluctant prophet. Jonah was more sorry that the plant God sent to provide him shade had died than he was for the spiritual darkness the 120,000 Ninevites were living in. God desires for all people to come to him, to trust him, and to be saved. He wants us to take the message of God’s love and mercy to all people, even “those people.” Who are “those people” today that you need to extend mercy, compassion, and forgiveness to?

Meditate on Jonah 4:2 today: ...You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Thank God for the times in your life when God has been gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, and did not send calamity for your wrongdoing.