4:1 But this was very displeasing to Yonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to Adonai, “Now, Adonai, didn’t I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment. 3 Therefore, Adonai, please, just take my life away from me; it’s better for me to be dead than alive!” 4 Adonai asked, “Is it right for you to be so angry?”
5 Yonah left the city and found a place east of the city, where he made himself a shelter and sat down under it, in its shade, to see what would happen to the city. 6 Adonai, God, prepared a castor-bean plant and made it grow up over Yonah to shade his head and relieve his discomfort. So Yonah was delighted with the castor-bean plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God prepared a worm, which attacked the castor-bean plant, so that it dried up. 8 Then, when the sun rose, God prepared a scorching east wind; and the sun beat down on Yonah’s head so hard that he grew faint and begged that he could die, saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.”
9 God asked Yonah, “Is it right for you to be so angry about the castor-bean plant?” He answered, “Yes, it’s right for me to be so angry that I could die!” 10 Adonai said, “You’re concerned over the castor-bean plant, which cost you no effort; you didn’t make it grow; it came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 So shouldn’t I be concerned about the great city of Ninveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left — not to mention all the animals?”(Complete Jewish Bible)
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Jonah found out God has plans, plans to bless the whole world--no exceptions. These plans included Jonah's involvement and he found out he couldn't get out of it. While he was having his "pout fest" because God's love included folks he didn't like, God continued to work with him. I once had a person tell me that there comes a time and place when God gives up on us and puts us on a shelf. I don't believe that. There is no "shelf" but only a persistent grace that keeps calling us back into God's dream for the world.
God chose you too. You are precious and God doesn't wait for you to love everyone or sign up for a life of piety or spirituality. "You did not choose me, but I chose you," Jesus said. We who are joined to Jesus' death and resurrection in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism (Romans 6) have been joined to his work and given the Spirit. We can pout all we want, but we are caught in God's call and love--forever!
Thank you God, for your determined call in my life. Thank you for being persistent when I am not so much. Create in me new ears to hear your call to bless the whole world, no exceptions. Amen.
Bishop Tom Aitken, '85
Bishop of Northeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA
Jonah 3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it...
4:1 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.
2 He prayed to the Lord and said, "O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.
3 And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."
4 And the Lord said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"
5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.
6 The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush.
7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered.
8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
9 But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?" And he said, "Yes, angry enough to die."
10 Then the Lord said, "You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.
11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?" (New Revised Standard Version)
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