Jonah: A Prophet Out of Time
Sermon on the Mount
by
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You may already know him (Jonah) from scripture; he's the one who suffered in the belly of a whale for three days so that he might tell a sinful people to repent. I like him. He’s belligerent, indignant and has a judgmental attitude. These are not admirable characteristics, but these flaws make him tangible. My Jonah seems to be the personification of human nature. For instance, his reaction to God when told to go to Nineveh. ******* "Jonah, this is God." "This is who?" "This is The Lord God; the Almighty; maker of Heaven and earth. I've got a job for you in Nineveh." "Why me, God?" "Because you’re belligerent, indignant and have a judgmental attitude, Jonah." "I don't wanna go to Nineveh, God." "See what I mean, Jonah? You’re belligerent." "Have you seen that place lately, Father? It’s full of sin, degradation, idol worship; you name it, they've got it." "And judgmental, Jonah. That's why you're going." "And why is that, God?" "For many people those evils you mention are reasons to seek out a place like Nineveh. You will go and tell them to repent." "What for, God? If they repent you're going to forgive them. That's not my style. When you mess up, you get burned. Now, Sodom and Gomorrah; I think you handled that correctly" "They didn't repent, Jonah." "You've got a point, there. But I won't go five hundred miles to tell a bunch of thugs to repent. It's not fair. They've slaughtered thousands unjustly." "They will repent." "So there you are, God; you say repent. I say, ‘no way’. You made an error this time, Almighty. Wrong guy." "I don't make mistakes, Jonah." "We'll see, Father. I hear there’s a Macedonian cruise line offering a nice trip to Tarshish this time of year." "Did I mention indignant as a characteristic, Jonah?" ******* How much of you and me is contained in this persona of Jonah? I know there's a lot of me. If experience means anything, most of you also harbor a few of these traits; including an ability to judge who Christ should bless. Often times this judgment falls most harshly on ourselves. We just don’t deserve to be blessed.
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Jonah: A Prophet Out of Time
God seems to have blessed these efforts in ways that I could not have expected. Lives are being touched and doors are being opened. I have no desire to do the ‘human’ thing with Jonah; to ride the crest of opinion and jump to the next popular topic. Jonah did not originate for that purpose and is not likely to change.
I’m convinced that it is only by God’s Grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that I am permitted to share them on a broader basis. May God richly bless you as you follow this belligerent Prophet in his journey through The Sermon on the Mount.
About the Author
I’ve wandered far from Christ’s love and wide of the mark that He establishes for those saved by His Grace. The agnosticism of a futile war in Southeast Asia, the violence of life on the streets and the destructiveness of selfish passions have provided me with a compelling insight into His love. For through it all, His forgiveness, compassion and promise never failed. My Shepherd left the flock and searched the thickets for me, just as He does for each and every wandering soul. So I write of God and our conversations in the context of a belligerent prophet named Jonah. My secular and religious education, along with thirty-five years of work as a layman in the church, gives theological and spiritual formation to these discussions. God has blessed these efforts; including a chance to be a contributing author to Kathy Collard Millers’ book An Expressive Heart and the gift of several hundred readers of my weekly meditations on www.Jonahsway.com. I love my wife of thirty-five years, long to see my four grown children more than I do and relish my grand children with their enlivening spirits and indomitable love for life. To them and to my friends, shalom.