Is It Right For You To Be Angry??
Verse of the Day:
Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion
4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
Reflection: Jonah is reluctant to go to the people of Nineveh, but he obeys God and walks across the entire city in sackcloth, proclaiming they need to repent for God's judgment is near. The ironic thing is that the people do just that, they turn from what they know is wrong and turn to God. Even the King recognizes Jonah's authority and declares a fast, takes off his royal robe, and puts on sackcloth and sits in the dust. But the twist in the story is that Jonah is not happy about it. In fact he is so depressed about his enemy's repentance, he goes out to the edge of the city, sits and sulks, and even hopes that he would die.
To further teach Jonah, God sends a leafy plant to give Jonah shade from the oppressive heat. But the subsequently allows the worm to chew off the leaves leaving Jonah exposed to the sun again. When Jonah returns to his depressed state, God asks Jonah a question. It is right for you to be angry about the plant? God is saying I provided you the plant to help you but I can also take it away. The plant provided you with shade out of my gracious provision. In the same way, God provided for the Ninevites upon their turning from sin to the living God. And even the ability to do this was a gift from God, just as Jonah's own faith and his growing up in a home filled with faith, was a gift of God.
It reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son, when the lost son returns and the father throws a feast. The older brother is mad because no parties have been thrown for him lately, and here this wasteful son's return is celebrated. The bottom line is Jonah has grown up seeing the Ninevites as Israel's enemy and he is having a hard time accepting that God has shown them His favor. But God is trying to show him that the same mercy he has been given has now been shown to the Ninevites. He was trying to get him to see them as God does.
Who in your life would you have a hard time seeing God's mercy and grace fall upon? Would it make you mad if they enjoyed the same mercy that you received? Maybe a good prayer would be God help me to see (you fill in the blank) like you do? And as they return to your favor help me to rejoice that he/she was lost now they are found, as there is more joy in heaven when one sinner repents than a 99 righteous ones who need no repentance.
Additional Readings for Today:
Psalm 141:1-4
Jonah 3,4
Revelation 11:15-12:6
Do good to Zion in your good pleasure. Psalm 51:18
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1
God, our loving Parent, keep us from becoming greedy children that want to hoard your blessings for ourselves. May we trust your abundant love; you will never take it from us or from any of your children. Amen.
Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion
4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
Reflection: Jonah is reluctant to go to the people of Nineveh, but he obeys God and walks across the entire city in sackcloth, proclaiming they need to repent for God's judgment is near. The ironic thing is that the people do just that, they turn from what they know is wrong and turn to God. Even the King recognizes Jonah's authority and declares a fast, takes off his royal robe, and puts on sackcloth and sits in the dust. But the twist in the story is that Jonah is not happy about it. In fact he is so depressed about his enemy's repentance, he goes out to the edge of the city, sits and sulks, and even hopes that he would die.
To further teach Jonah, God sends a leafy plant to give Jonah shade from the oppressive heat. But the subsequently allows the worm to chew off the leaves leaving Jonah exposed to the sun again. When Jonah returns to his depressed state, God asks Jonah a question. It is right for you to be angry about the plant? God is saying I provided you the plant to help you but I can also take it away. The plant provided you with shade out of my gracious provision. In the same way, God provided for the Ninevites upon their turning from sin to the living God. And even the ability to do this was a gift from God, just as Jonah's own faith and his growing up in a home filled with faith, was a gift of God.
It reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son, when the lost son returns and the father throws a feast. The older brother is mad because no parties have been thrown for him lately, and here this wasteful son's return is celebrated. The bottom line is Jonah has grown up seeing the Ninevites as Israel's enemy and he is having a hard time accepting that God has shown them His favor. But God is trying to show him that the same mercy he has been given has now been shown to the Ninevites. He was trying to get him to see them as God does.
Who in your life would you have a hard time seeing God's mercy and grace fall upon? Would it make you mad if they enjoyed the same mercy that you received? Maybe a good prayer would be God help me to see (you fill in the blank) like you do? And as they return to your favor help me to rejoice that he/she was lost now they are found, as there is more joy in heaven when one sinner repents than a 99 righteous ones who need no repentance.
Additional Readings for Today:
Psalm 141:1-4
Jonah 3,4
Revelation 11:15-12:6
Do good to Zion in your good pleasure. Psalm 51:18
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1
God, our loving Parent, keep us from becoming greedy children that want to hoard your blessings for ourselves. May we trust your abundant love; you will never take it from us or from any of your children. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment