Jonah 3-4

“Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?” (Jonah 3:9)

Jonah heeded God’s command this second time and preached to the people of Nineveh. The people believed and they repented. They fasted, covered themselves with sackcloth, and sat in ashes – every one of them from the greatest to the least of them.

We know that they have indeed turned from their evil way and from the violence in their hands as we read of Jesus’ testimony of them in Matthew:

“… The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation in the judgment, and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; …” (Matthew 12:41).

When one sinner repents, there is joy even in the presence of the angels in heaven (Luke 15:10). And yet we read here that Jonah was angry. Why so?

When someone we know turn back from his wrongdoings and repent before God, do we receive him back with open arms? This reminded me of the parable of the prodigal son when the brother started to grumble and murmur against the father who was showing exceptional grace towards him who had returned home.

Did Jonah not know that God was a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness (Jonah 4:2)? He knows! It was precisely because he knows that he ran away from God the first time. He knew that God would surely relent if the people repented.

So, that could only mean that…. Jonah was not happy that God relented. He was angry that God had showered His grace upon the people of Nineveh. He did not think that they deserve such grace.

Similarly, today, it could be easy for this kind of attitude to seep unknowingly into our mindset, especially for us who have been in church for a long time. 

Because we have put in much effort to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, to keep His Word and to be holy, it almost feels like we have earned the grace. We have forgotten that the definition of grace itself is something that cannot be earned, but is freely given.

None of us deserve the grace that God has given us. And there is no way we can earn this grace. So how can we exclude others from the grace of God?

Even the seemingly most undeserving man deserves a chance to repent. How can we play the Judge and condemn?

Therefore,

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus… (Philippians 2:5)

As we continue our walk with God, may we grow to be more and more like Him. Let His heart which desires all men to be saved be also found in ours.