Reflections on the Book of Jonah

As we conclude our series on the Book of Jonah, I invite you to pause and reflect on how this biblical account of this reluctant prophet challenges and applies to the church and our individual lives today. All Scripture is God-breathed, and if we move too quickly in this fast-paced world of busy lives, we will run past the invitation that God offers us through His word. As my mentor Todd says, “Those who hurry delay the things of God.” Let us pause and reflect today as Jonah's journey confronts us with truths that challenge and inspire our growth as followers and lovers of Jesus. Here are some key takeaways I've had over the past 5 weeks in the Book of Jonah.

Jonah's initial refusal to go to Nineveh serves as a reminder that God's call is not contingent upon our comfort or understanding. Each of us carries the duty of being His ambassadors, sharing His message with the world. Our responsibility is to trust and obey, while the outcomes remain in His hands. Are we prepared to step out in faith and obedience, no matter the personal cost?

Jonah found great joy in experiencing God’s mercy firsthand. Even as he disobeyed and fled from God, God mercifully retrieved him and still used him to bring revival and reconciliation to the city of Nineveh. However, his angry and bitter heart was exposed when it came time to celebrate the mercy of God shown to others, especially those he felt didn't deserve it. This should challenge us to reflect on our own hearts: Do we celebrate grace and mercy only when it’s given for us, or can we also share in the joy when it is given to others? Can we celebrate God's grace and mercy to those we dislike? How about this? Are we ready to extend the grace we’ve received to those who have wronged us, caused us pain, or are difficult to love? Let’s strive to align our hearts with God's boundless love and compassion! Freely we've received, so freely we must give.

Jonah’s distorted view of good and evil highlights the danger of relying solely on our understanding and cultural lenses. Are there ways we might also be misaligned, assuming that our values perfectly reflect God's truth and will? Personally? Politically? Relationally? In order to avoid this, we have to submit these values and lenses to Him, relying on the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and guidance to help us discern and desire what truly pleases Him and to be grieved by what grieves His heart. Otherwise, here's the hard truth: it may be that we aren't seeing a work of God in us or around us because we are the ones standing in opposition to it. What a sobering thought...

As Jonah bitterly fixated on justice and his beliefs about the people of Nineveh, God beautifully demonstrated His perfect balance of justice and mercy. Do we see the world more like God or Jonah? In our culture, we often view those who hold different beliefs as problems, fools, evil, and ultimately, as enemies. How difficult it will be for us to be filled with compassion and the love of Jesus when we regard others in this way. Let us release the need to act as arbiters of justice, in word, attitude, and deed, and instead trust that our righteous God is the only perfect judge, and I am simply a recipient of His mercy. He alone possesses the power to work all things for the good of those He loves and calls His own. In light of this, let's flee from bitterness and become ministers of reconciliation to the world around us, submitting our thoughts, feelings, and biases to His will and Word.

God’s mission for Jonah was clear—extend His offer of repentance and mercy to the people of Nineveh, regardless of their sordid past and even Jonah’s feelings towards them. This same invitation is also a call for us to let go of distractions and cultural idols, wholeheartedly committing to and submitting to His will and way. When we are called TO something, we have to LEAVE something behind. Just like the rich young ruler who came to Jesus in Matthew 19, we might think it’s possible to hold our worldly loves and the ways of Jesus. However, like the rich young ruler learned, this is not the case. Following Jesus often times looks like the opposite way of our world around us. In Jesus, we receive everything we truly need, so we need to open our hands, letting go of those things that only bring temporary comfort. This way, we might take hold of the treasure that lasts forever in Christ. Are we prepared to submit to our Lord and make meaningful sacrifices for the sake of His kingdom, both in our communities and around the world? Embracing His call means turning from our ways and setting my eyes on the cross.

Let us always remember that our lives are meant to reflect the heart of God to each other and to a watching world. We are not called to live in isolation but in community, supporting and encouraging one another as we follow Jesus. If we want to witness God's work in the world around us, we must first fully submit to His work in our own lives.

I encourage you to contemplate these powerful themes from Jonah. Sojourn family, let’s strive to be a church that listens to and acts upon the Word, illuminating the path for others to find reconciliation and hope in Christ.

May we acknowledge and submit to the Holy Spirit’s ongoing transformative work in us, both individually and collectively. His will be done, here amongst us, as it is in heaven.