By Cindy Tan, Malaysia
“I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think they are already good enough” (Luke 5:32 NLT).
It is a great honor to be chosen to lead. However, an honored leader may face the dilemma of having to carry out tasks that he may not like. Jonah was confronted with such a dilemma.
Jonah was God’s prophet sent to speak to the Gentile city of Nineveh. The people of Nineveh (Assyrians) were full of pride and iniquity. Moreover, the Assyrians had wrought havoc in Israel over the years. Therefore, Jonah was reluctant to preach at Nineveh. His desire was in fact, to see that city decline, culminating in a complete loss of power. So when God asked Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh to warn them of God’s impending wrath, Jonah went the opposite direction. He wanted to avoid carrying out that task. He feared that God would show mercy, and the heathens would be free to plunder and pillage Israel again.
However, God loves all people. He desires to forgive and have mercy on all. So He would not let Jonah off the hook. God pursued Jonah. Through a storm and a big fish, God finally caught hold of the reluctant prophet and turned him around. When Jonah finally spoke God’s message to Nineveh, the whole city repented. Instead of rejoicing over that, Jonah reacted with anger and sulked about God sparing Nineveh. To this, God gave him an object lesson of His love (Jonah 4:6-8). God then asked, “But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness . . . Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” (Jonah 4:11 NLT).
What about us today? We may think that we are still young. While we may not be prophets, we are all witnesses, blessed to be a blessing to the whole world (Genesis 12:2-3). How do we respond to God’s desire to extend His forgiveness and kindness to those have yet to come to know Him? Are we angry like Jonah?
May God help us to obey Him in all things—even in doing tasks that we may not like. This may mean speaking out for truth and justice at the risk of becoming unpopular; or standing up for the weak and oppressed so that God’s love can be experienced by all people in the world.
YMI note:
We are developing a modern adaption of Jonah in comic form. Coming soon in March 2010!
