And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left – and also many animals?’ Jonah 4:11, NIV

 

Have you ever tried to run away from God? Jonah did. Have you ever been in the belly of an oversized fish? Jonah had. When Jonah received God’s call to go to “preach against the city of Nineveh” because of its wickedness, he ran in the opposite direction “to ran away from the Lord” (Jonah 1:3) because he had no desire to see them given an opportunity to repent and be saved.

 

But nobody can flee from God, and in trying, Jonah found himself at sea – in a mighty storm – confessing to foreign sailors that it was his fault, because he was running away from his God, “the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land”. (Jonah 1:9) When, unwillingly, they threw him overboard, God “provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights”. (Jonah 1:17)

 

In his darkest moment, in “the very heart of the seas” (Jonah 2:3), a penitent Jonah confessed: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead, I called for help, and [he] listened to my cry … [he] brought my life up from the pit … When my life was ebbing away … my prayer rose to [him]… What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” (Jonah 2:2,6b-7,9b)

 

God heard and commanded the fish to vomit him onto dry land, and this time Jonah obeyed God. He preached repentance to the Ninevites, but when God compassionately relented when he saw their sincere repentance, Jonah again became furious and prayed petulantly, scolding God for his mercy: “Is'nt this wat 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.” (Jonah 4:2-3)

 

But Jonah couldn’t see what God could see.

 

It started with the king who got off his throne, exchanged his royal clothes for sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then, he commanded his people to “o not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let every man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence ... God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 3:7-9)

 

The Ninevites’ repentance was exemplary; they didn’t know God, but they believed his message, owned their guilt and seriously repented, whereas Jonah, who consistently showed a callous heart, and rebellious defiance towards God – naturally nothing we’d ever do (!) – wanted God to punish this whole city. He couldn't see the parallel between his own sinfulness and theirs; that God was being consistent and gracious, answering his prayer for help first.

 

Our verse today encompasses God’s final words to Jonah, which reveal his unique heart of compassion for a lost people – and their animals. He in no way overlooks wrongdoing but is forgiving toward each repentant heart. I love the touching detail God captures about how childlike they are in their inability to differentiate between right and left and showed them the same compassion he showed the rebellious Jonah. This allows us to perceive how God sees all people – those who know him and those who don’t.

 

Aren’t you comforted to know that everyone is equal in God’s sight and his compassion is for all?

 

Prayer: Gracious Father, you are patient, kind, “slow to anger and abounding in love”; (Jonah 4:2) you are love personified. Thank you for your gracious compassion and mercy to us all, despite our unworthy attitudes and sinfulness. Help me to be humble and repentant and to grow more like you every day. Amen