wrong

Boy, did an old familiar Bible story hit me between the eyes today. I was reading through Jonah, and got to the part where God shows mercy to Ninevah. Here’s how it goes, in Jonah 3:10-4:2:

“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 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.’”

For whatever reason, all my previous readings of this passage have been intellectual, but today the connection was visceral. God’s mercy seemed very wrong to Jonah, and he said, “I told you! This is exactly why I tried to run away.” It sounded a lot like me.

Now, I don’t know exactly who God has saved and who he hasn’t, but I have a really good idea of who he should or shouldn’t. I know the good people who give to the church and show up for service projects; in fact, I’m willing to overlook their DUIs and shady business reputation. On the other hand, I’m can be judgmental about a whole other group of folks who don’t seem quite as nice to me, or who seem to consistently make bad choices that end up costing the rest of us to bail them out again.

Jonah got mad at God for being “a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” It’s laughable, except I’m afraid it gets close to an ugly truth about me. When it comes to some of those “others,” I’d like to see a little more fire and brimstone.

This morning, my prayer is that any animosity I have toward any of God’s image-bearers will be drowned in a flood of gratitude for my own salvation.