Oh yes, the Jonah story

The Assyrians were mean, violent, nasty and oppressive. They made life miserable for the Israelites year after year. Jonah was an Israelite and Jonah is told by God to take a message to the great city named Nineveh in Assyria. Jonah reflects— Assyria—our hated enemy and you God want me to go to the center of the beast and do something good for them? Seriously? No way!

Jonah wants nothing of this idea, and so heads to the nearest port, jumps on a ship and sails in the opposite direction!

While on the boat, going away from Assyria, a storm comes up and a discussion among the crew about the course of the storm. The crew decides that Jonah’s presence is the problem, and so they throw Jonah overboard. Then he is swallowed by a big fish. Jonah prays in the belly of the fish, and then the fish spits him out and he finally goes to Nineveh. The Ninevites are fanatically receptive to the message delivered by Jonah from God. The Assyrians king orders, “Let man and best be covered in sackcloth.” Sackcloth is what one wore when crying out to God because of your sins and asking for God’s mercy.

At the end of the story, Jonah has a change of heart and he has seen the massive, miraculous change of heart in the Ninevites right before his eyes; he is so upset by it that he wants to die. What a bizarre story. In this story, none of the characters do what you would expect them to do. So the question might be, “Why did this story survive?”

The story ask the question: Can Jonah forgive the Assyrians? Also, can Israel forgive the Assyrians?

Jonah is angry because God has been so kind to the Ninevites—God ask Jonah, “Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

The story can be very subversive because it clearly shows that your enemy may be more open to God’s redeeming love than you are.”

This shows God is on everyone’s side, extending grace and compassion to everyone, even those who we were certain He was unhappy with.