Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Wednesday, 25 June 2014 "God's heart for all people"

Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Wednesday, 25 June 2014 "God's heart for all people"
Daily Scripture:  Jonah 3:5 The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.
9 Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
10 God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.
Jonah 4:4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 He prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please, Yahweh, 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. 3 Therefore now, Yahweh, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 Yahweh said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Then 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.
10 Yahweh 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. 11 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 hand; and also much livestock?”
Reflection Questions:
When Jonah grudgingly went to Nineveh, he still had hopes. His entire message was, "Just forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:4). He wanted to see Nineveh flattened! The Hebrew Scriptures preserved this story, not to endorse Jonah's spirit, but rather, through God's challenge to the sulking prophet at the end, to show that God's love truly extends to the whole world.
The writer of Jonah had a superb touch with irony. The book describes an astounding preaching success—a whole city repenting and turning to God. And the preacher's attitude? "Jonah thought this was utterly wrong, and he became angry" (Jonah 4:1)! What factors does the story say made Jonah so angry? Do any of those factors play into the way(s) you respond to people?
The story of Jonah ended with a question, not a statement. God asked Jonah, "Can't I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who can't tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?" Is there any person or group of people you'd rather see God "zap" than to see them repent? Is it right for God to extend the offer of mercy to all people?
Today's Prayer:
God of love and mercy, there are probably "Jonahs" who thought I wasn't worth saving. I'm thankful that you weren't one of them, that your grace and love reached all the way to where I am. Amen.
Insight from Rev. Steven Blair
Rev. Steven Blair is the Congregational Care Pastor of Live Forward and Live Well Emotional Wellness Ministry. www.cor.org/liveforward
Poor Ol’ Jonah, Now’s He All Alon-ah
Wednesday, 25 June 2014   Jonah 3:5 The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.
9 Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
10 God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn’t do it.
Jonah 4:4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 He prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please, Yahweh, 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. 3 Therefore now, Yahweh, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”
4 Yahweh said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Then 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.
10 Yahweh 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. 11 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 hand; and also much livestock?”
Like other stories we tell children, the Bible Story of Jonah has even more to say to adults. You may remember the story: Jonah was a prophet who didn’t like the people of Ninevah, capital of the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians had a reputation of being cruel and filled with religions that seemed to intentionally break as many of God’s Commandments as possible. God did not give up hope on the Ninevah. God sent Jonah to give Ninevah a chance to turn to God. Jonah said no and ran away. God sent a whale. Jonah reconsidered and went to Ninevah. Well, Jonah’s body went to Ninevah but his heart didn’t make the trip. (Youtube clip of VeggieTales song about Jonah. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qLhAdA5ZXI )
Jonah’s big sermon to the Ninevites is one verse long. “Forty more days and Ninevah will be overturned.” No sermon illustration. No heartfelt desire to persuade them back to God. Jonah simply preached one of the worst sermons ever, dropped the microphone, and apparently waited for the destruction to take place. But something happened. Even though the sermon was poor, God still spoke to the hearts of all the people. (A sermon’s power is in God’s Spirit not the preacher’s talent.)   After the Ninevites turn to God, Jonah is upset. He wanted to see fire and brimstone and instead saw changed hearts.  Very disappointing. The final image the story offers us is Jonah pouting that these sinners received mercy.
It is similar to the story of the Prodigal Sons. The youngest Prodigal Son returns to the Father after years of rampant sinning. The oldest son is angry that the Father is so merciful with his wandering brother. The parable ends with the younger son’s heart reunited with his Father. A big celebration takes place and the last image we see in Luke 15 is an image of the older son pouting about a sinner who receives mercy.
These Scriptures pose difficult questions.
Do we want God to hate the people that we hate? 
Would we celebrate our enemies receiving mercy or do we wish pain on them?
The Book of Jonah challenges all the religious folks with the pervasive, and often annoying, message. Our God is a merciful God. We can either join in the fun of seeing hearts change or we can sit outside the city pouting.
In Christ, Steven Blair Pastor of Live Forward Program
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