Jonah 4:1-11: a reflection

1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2He prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please, LORD, wasn’t this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm. 3Therefore now, LORD, take, I beg you, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4The LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 5Then Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth and sat under it in the shade, until he might see what would become of the city. 6The LORD God prepared a vine and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine. 7But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine so that it withered. 8When the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he was faint and requested for himself that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the vine?” He said, “I am right to be angry, even to death.” 10The LORD said, “You have been concerned for the vine, for which you have not labored, neither made it grow; which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11Shouldn’t I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can’t discern between their right hand and their left hand, and also many animals?”

When God spares the great city of Nineveh after its repentance, Jonah is not glad but angry; he had wanted to see the city judged, not saved. God's mercy on these people, whom Jonah regarded as enemies, displeases him exceedingly. But God gently confronts Jonah's narrow, resentful heart, ending the book with a question: Shouldn't I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can't discern between their right hand and their left? God's compassion reached to the people Jonah would rather have seen judged; and God's question rebukes the narrow heart that resents his mercy to others.

Notice the contrast between Jonah's narrow heart and God's wide compassion. Jonah resented God's mercy on Nineveh; he would rather have seen his enemies judged than saved. But God's heart was wide with compassion, reaching even to a great city of people who did not know him, whom Jonah despised. God cared for them, a multitude of confused, lost people; and he gently confronted Jonah's resentment of that mercy. The narrow, resentful heart that begrudges God's mercy to others is rebuked by the wideness of God's own compassion, which reaches to those we would rather see judged. God's compassion is wider than our resentment; his heart reaches to the outsider and the enemy.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's compassion is wide, reaching even to those we resent, and it rebukes our narrow hearts. We can, like Jonah, harbor a narrow, resentful heart, begrudging God's mercy to those we regard as enemies or outsiders, wanting to see them judged rather than saved; but God's compassion is wide, reaching to the very people we would rather see judged. His wide mercy rebukes our narrow resentment. Do not harbor a narrow heart that resents God's mercy to those you regard as enemies or outsiders; God's compassion is wide, reaching to them, and it rebukes such resentment. Let the wideness of God's compassion, which reaches even to those you might resent, rebuke and widen your own narrow heart, as God asked Jonah whether he should not be concerned for the great city of Nineveh; for God's mercy is wider than our resentment, reaching to the outsider and the enemy, and we do well to let his wide compassion enlarge our own narrow hearts.

Lord, when you spare the great city of Nineveh after its repentance, Jonah is not glad but angry; he had wanted to see the city judged, not saved. Your mercy on these people, whom Jonah regarded as enemies, displeases him exceedingly. But you gently confront Jonah's narrow, resentful heart, ending the book with a question: shouldn't I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can't discern between their right hand and their left? Your compassion reached to the people Jonah would rather have seen judged. Show me the contrast between Jonah's narrow heart and your wide compassion. Jonah resented your mercy on Nineveh; he would rather have seen his enemies judged than saved. But your heart was wide with compassion, reaching even to a great city of people who did not know you, whom Jonah despised. You cared for them, a multitude of confused, lost people; and you gently confronted Jonah's resentment. The narrow, resentful heart that begrudges your mercy to others is rebuked by the wideness of your own compassion. Take that to my heart, for your compassion is wide, reaching even to those I resent, and it rebukes my narrow heart. I can, like Jonah, harbor a narrow, resentful heart, begrudging your mercy to those I regard as enemies or outsiders, wanting to see them judged rather than saved; but your compassion is wide. Keep me from harboring a narrow heart that resents your mercy to those I regard as enemies or outsiders; your compassion is wide, Lord, reaching to them. Let the wideness of your compassion rebuke and widen my own narrow heart, as you asked Jonah whether you should not be concerned for Nineveh.