Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious. He prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and one who relents from sending disaster. And now, Lord, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:1-3)
Jonah got mad at God for being kind. He wanted justice for Nineveh, not mercy. He wanted God to unleash His righteous wrath and wipe out the city. Why? Jonah had plenty of reasons to hate the Ninevites. Nineveh (the capital city of Assyria) was a city of violence, known for its brutal treatment of those it conquered. The Assyrians were notorious for amputating hands and feet, gouging eyes, skinning and impaling their captives. They were the mortal enemies of the Jews. They had conquered and destroyed Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, and nearly conquered Jerusalem. Ninevites were also proud and prosperous. They built huge walls to protect the city, had parks, gardens, and even an aqueduct system. In other words, not only were they cruel, they were also powerful and successful. Doesn’t that make your blood boil?
Think about it. Your enemy commits evil against you…intentionally, vindictively. He’s cruel and arrogant, and yet is prosperous, successful, and powerful. He gets away with everything! You are left defeated, hurt, wronged, ANGRY. Then God warns him of His coming wrath and judgment on his sin. You think to yourself, “Aha, good! It’s about time. Vengeance! He will come to ruin and I will be vindicated.” But then the unexpected happens–he REPENTS! He is forgiven for all his wrong-doing. What?! Where is my vindication, where is justice?
Who of us in Jonah’s shoes would not feel the same way?
In Exodus 34:6 God declares His true nature, His heart: “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”, something Jonah knew first-hand very well. Jonah uses that as an accusation against God as if it were a bad thing. He knew God is His compassionate nature would spare Nineveh if they repented, and they did. He didn’t want them to repent and be saved, he wanted them destroyed. The truth is God is infinitely more gracious than we are. He is infinitely more forgiving than we are. We can’t even begin to scratch the surface in understanding the depth of His mercy and love.
Time for a gut-check.
Step 1: Think about the person you dislike the most on earth. Don’t say there’s nobody. There is somebody. When you read those words, whose face did you see in your mind? That’s the person! They have done you wrong and you’re holding onto that pain. In your self-righteousness you might say “I don’t hate him/her” but in your heart you know you do.
Step 2: Now think about all the wrongs you have done, all the people you’ve hurt. Think about the multitude and magnitude of sins you have committed against God, about all the times you deliberately disobeyed Him. Does not God have the right to judge you, to punish you? And what did He give you instead? MERCY. In light of His glorious act of grace and unmitigated kindness and compassion emanating from His faithful love for you Jesus gently reminds us “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).
Pray that God would open your eyes to see and heart to feel the depth of His love for you in spite of your sinfulness so that you in turn could share that same kind of love towards your enemies.