Mount Zion Ryan

These are my reflections alone. I have no idea how the Fathers read the book of Jonah. I aim to find out soon and report back.

I wont rehash the entire story of Jonah, but it’s really short–two pages in my RSV gift bible–so go and check it out for yourself. (Bible Gateway is where I get all my bible quotes online.) Instead I’d like to highlight a few spots.

In 1:11 the sailors asked Jonah what to do to calm the sea. He had previously told them he was “fleeing the presence of the Lord” (1:10) and that he fears “the Lord, the God of Heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (1:9). In 1:12 he tells them to throw him into the sea. The men evidently balked at this and tried to row the ship to shore (1:13). Finally they relent and cry to the Lord, “Lord, he told us to throw him over so don’t hold us responsible for his death” [my paraphrase].

Growing up I always thought that Jonah was being brave and trusted that the Lord would not let him perish. Now I’m not so sure. Why didn’t he go to the ship’s master and say, “Cap’n this gale is blowing because I am fleeing to Tarshish, put about and head back to Joppa and it will subside.” I wonder if he was being brave at all. Perhaps he was thinking, “I’ll show the Lord, I’ll just drown myself and he can get some other bozo to go to Nineveh.”

So over he goes. Right into the great fish. I can hear Jonah now…”Oh flip, this is great. Just when I think I’ve escaped you, O Lord, you do this. Fine. See if I care.” It took Jonah three days and nights to relent (1:17).

When he does relent he prayed this really nice prayer (2:2-9) and all seems well. But it’s not. Jonah goes to Nineveh, preaches the doom that is to come and, much to his chagrin, the Ninevites repent. From the King to the cattle they sit in ashes and put on sackcloth, and fast.

But Jonah doesn’t get it. Instead he goes to a hillside and waits for the destruction. When it doesn’t happen, “it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry” (4:1). Then, oh man is he pissy, Jonah says, “Lord, I told you this would happen. Dern it, this is why I was heading to Tarshish. I just knew they’d repent and you’d show mercy, just kill me now.” [Again, my paraphrase]

And here’s the kicker. Jonah, having become angry about a plant that God caused to shade him, still doesn’t get it. God says, “You pity the plant; for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perish in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right from their left, and also much cattle?”

And so it ends. This may be the biggest cliffhanger in the Bible. What happened to Jonah? Did he get it? I doubt it. Did he really think that God was not to be found in Tarshish? He would rather die than do what God asks.

And there’s the rub. We are so much like Jonah. We try to run to Tarshish because we think God will not be there. Then we get into a tight spot and God rescues us, but we sulk and sit in darkness. We all live in the belly of the great fish. It’s warm and we’ve gotten used to the smell. Remeber, it took Jonah three days to decide he wanted some fresh air. The waves and winds do us no harm. But slowly, almost imperceptibly, we are being devoured. We are dying in the darkness on the belly.

And, if we make it out of the belly and back to shore, we are pissed when God doesn’t act exactly as we wish. “Look God,” we say, “those people are really sinful. I’ll bet you’re going to destroy them aren’t you.”

We need to be like the Ninevites, repenting and begging for God’s mercy. Instead we act like pissy prophets and set up a booth and get a chip on our shoulder. After all, we’re Christian, not like those stupid Ninevites.

Lord Have Mercy on us all. May we see the ridiculousness of sitting in the dark and being devoured. My we heed Our Lord’s warning and repent.

In the name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

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