An infuriated Jonah- This is when Jonah’s troubles began for a second time. He was not just perplexed; deep within Jonah was seething with rage against God; his mind going through a myriad of questions. Why had God changed his mind? How could he go back to Israel and face his people again? Hadn’t God decreed that a prophet’s credibility rested on the fulfillment of his prophetic words (Deuteronomy 18:22)?

In the beginning, he had reasoned with God that he would forgive the Ninevites. Now his worst fears of God forgiving his enemy nation had come to pass!! The news of these events would gradually reach his hometown and would certainly affect his reputation. Jonah began pleading with God to take his life. He preferred death rather than having to face the impending humiliation. (Jonah 4:3).

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An enlightened Jonah- God did not answer Jonah instantly. Instead, he made Jonah understand by means of a practical demonstration. God caused a small plant to grow overnight and shelter Jonah. The next day the plant withered, and Jonah was beside himself with anger on finding that the shade that was protecting him from the sweltering heat had been taken away.

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Now the Lord spoke-If Jonah could have such feelings of tenderness towards a plant, he had no part in nurturing, why would the Lord not care about his creation? Even in the city of Nineveh, there were one lakh twenty thousand innocent people and animals who did not deserve death or divine punishment.

It was this answer that finally opened Jonah’s eyes. Jonah had a glimpse of the immeasurable, unfathomable, all-encompassing love of God. He realized that God was so compassionate that he was ever ready to forgive the worst of offenses if he could witness true repentance. He realized that God’s love transcended even his beloved nation Israel; God cared for his entire creation!!

The compassion of human beings is for their neighbors, but the compassion of the Lord is for every living thing. He rebukes and trains and teaches them, and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock (Sirach 18:13)

Jonah left Nineveh, a changed man. He returned in peace to his hometown-at peace with God and himself. Henceforth his preaching had a different connotation. All along he had preached about divine justice as the basis of repentance. From then on, he began to preach a love-centered repentance. Surely, he must have been able to reach out to a greater audience and bring about far more conversions through this new-found understanding of God.

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Reflection

 

Just like Jonah, a lot of us are under the grip of wrong paradigms and negative biases. We believe that certain people should not be the recipients of God’s mercy and forgiveness. We would rather witness their destruction and downfall instead of praying for their salvation. Jonah had put his ethnicity, his national fervor and his zeal for Israel ahead of his love for God and his neighbors. He was not concerned that an entire nation was on the verge of perishing.

My dear brothers and sisters, is a Jonah-like attitude preventing us from being a witness to people who oppose us? Our preconceived notions of who merits our prayers can be one of the greatest hurdles in reaching out and speaking to those who need to hear about him. Let us remember that God desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1Timothy 2:4)

God is always on the lookout for his lost sheep. At the same time, he is on the lookout for true shepherds; selfless and unprejudiced men and women of God; people after his own heart who will bring these lost people back into his bosom. Are we ready to participate in this divine mission of drawing all people closer to God?

May the Spirit of God stir our hearts to share the message of salvation impartially to all those in need of his mercy by our words and deeds. 

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​And may God be with you in your endeavors.