Jonah The Reluctant Prophet
Jonah 3:1-5,10; 1 Cor 7: 29-31; Mark 1: 14-20
Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap
Introduction: The book of Jonah is a short book, 4 chapters. Some believe the story is allegorical or a metaphor for the disobedience of the Israelites and the salvation of the Gentiles. But Jonah is documented as a historical figure in 2 Kings and he his mentioned in several ancient Jewish histories. The major point that divides the scholars seems to hinge on the supernatural: some cannot accept the supernatural element of the story, a great fish swallowing a man. Nineveh during that time in history was extremely important. It was a commercial. The city was very large. People from all over the world came there to make money. But the city had spiritual problems. No one knew the true God. They thought they did. Nineveh thought everything was alright. But then Jonah told them, “40 more days and Nineveh will be destroyed.” God had enough. He was going to wipe these people off the face of the earth, just as he had done to Sodom and Gomorrah. The people of Nineveh repented. They declared a fast. They stopped their pattern of sinning. They looked to God for forgiveness. To repent means to stop being fake. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.”
Character of Jonah: Jonah was running away from the Lord. He didn’t want to carry what the Lord had given him. How often do we behave like Jonah? And where does this disobedience lead us? Jonah had been running away from the Lord, but the Lord had not been running from him. So at the beginning of chapter 3 the same word from God came to him a second time saying: “Go to the great city Ninevah and proclaim to it the message I give you.” This time, Jonah obeyed the Word of the Lord, but with very little enthusiasm.
Why was Jonah such a reluctant disciple? Well, Jonah is a good example of the disobedience to God that Israel often displayed. Good Jewish prophets didn’t preach to other nations! Jonah didn’t want the city of Nineveh to be saved! He believed that there should be a strict separation between Israel and other peoples but obviously God felt otherwise. Jonah knew this in his heart and thus he was trying to thwart God’s will. Do we ever try to thwart God’s will due to any kind of prejudice we might have? Well, The Book of Jonah makes it clear that God is concerned for the salvation of all people and as His disciples we are called to take God’s message to some places where we might not want to go.
Another reason that Jonah didn’t want to carry out God’s call was because he was afraid of the Ninevites. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, a nation known for dread and terror! But amazingly, Jonah’s sermon was a huge success! The people of Nineveh accepted his message, they believed it, they repented they were saved!
Now our dear friend Jonah should have been pleased by the outcome. He should have been glad to know that he had carried the message, which the people had listened to and they were now children of God. His preaching has brought redemption and forgiveness. Not the total destruction of the entire city. Jonah wants Nineveh destroyed. Our poor disgruntled prophet is having a rough time. So, he climbs up to a hilltop to wait and see what will happen. God, our ever-kind Father, makes a vine grow so our unhappy camper will have shade from the burning sun. Jonah is very happy for this. But the next morning when the vine dies our dear friend is furious that the vine died. God then speaks to Jonah. He says these words that must have made Jonah feel the smallest of the small, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” We do not know how Jonah responded nor do we know how he must have felt. But how do we feel when we disobey and disappoint? Through this story of conversion, God reveals again, that God is a God Who cares even if we don’t. Jonah certainly didn’t care about Nineveh he was even angry that God saved them!
Question: When’s the last time you honestly asked God to reveal His will for your life? When was the last time you went to God’s Word seeking to obediently follow His desire and direction? What have been the consequences of doing things your own way instead of God’s way? Jonah is what many of us are at certain points in our lives: stubborn, disobedient and prideful. When Jesus called Simon and Andrew and James and John to follow him, He was calling them to also immediately leave behind some things and some people that were very near and dear to them for a long time. What do we need to leave behind in immediate obedience to God?
The disciples were not like Jonah at all. They were ready to serve Christ. They were ready to follow Him. They felt the authority, the power of this man and they followed. None of them tried to turn and run away. They accepted and they followed. How many of us would just follow the Lord wherever He leads us?
