Do You Have Good Reason to Be Angry?
Scripture
The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying,
(Jonah 1:1 NASB)
“Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
(Jonah 1:2 NASB)
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
(Jonah 1:3 NASB)
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk.
(Jonah 3:3 NASB)
Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
(Jonah 3:4 NASB)
Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.
(Jonah 3:5 NASB)
But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry.
(Jonah 4:1 NASB)
He prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.
(Jonah 4:2 NASB)
“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”
(Jonah 4:3 NASB)
The LORD said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”
(Jonah 4:4 NASB)
(Jonah 1:1 NASB)
“Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
(Jonah 1:2 NASB)
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
(Jonah 1:3 NASB)
So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk.
(Jonah 3:3 NASB)
Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
(Jonah 3:4 NASB)
Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.
(Jonah 3:5 NASB)
But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry.
(Jonah 4:1 NASB)
He prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.
(Jonah 4:2 NASB)
“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”
(Jonah 4:3 NASB)
The LORD said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”
(Jonah 4:4 NASB)
Observation
Jonah was angry that God had saved the people of Ninevah. Jonah was a reluctant servant in the first-place but he had his own personal prejudices against the people of Ninevah. Therefore, he tried to run away, and after his terrible sea experience, he went to Ninevah and preached what he had been told to preach. He preached the words, but one might guess that he did not preach them with much enthusiasm, or he may even have preached them hoping that no one would respond. But they were not his words, they were God's words and the people did respond. This made Jonah mad and finally God had to ask him, "Do you have good reason to be angry?" The answer was "no" -- but still, Jonah was mad!
Application
We may think that this is an extreme situation but let's put this
into a modern context. What if God called you to go to the city of
Mosul, Iraq to preach the gospel? This is the modern city located near
the ruins of Ninevah. As much as we may not want to admit it, there
would be many within the Christian world who would be prejudice against
the Muslim people of Mosul. Why would God call us to go there and tell
them about Jesus? Don't they deserve to have the punishment that God
has planned for them? No, they are God's children just as much as we
are God's children and the love of God can reach out and transform them
as well. However, they need to be told the good news.
But let's bring this even closer to home! What about someone that you really don't like? Someone who has wronged you in life and done mean things to you? What if God calls you to reach out to them, to love them, to share the news of his salvation with them? Are you willing, or would that make you angry?
When Christ is living in you, your response becomes that of Jesus Christ. He was willing to go to death on a cross for his very enemies. He did everything that he could to save them. When our hearts becomes united with his heart, then this becomes our cry as well. God doesn't even have to call us to go to our enemies. We don't become angry over what God asks us to do, instead it becomes the very longing of our heart to do what he wants to do. Our heart breaks over Ninevah, just like his did. Our hearts break over those who have wronged us, just like his does. We can't wait to reach out to those who have wronged us because we want them to know the Jesus that we know at such a deep and intimate level.
Jesus would have had every good right to be angry -- but he wasn't. If Jesus is in us, we won't be angry either. Instead our hearts will break for the things that break his and we will move with compassion in a world that is in desperate need of healing.
But let's bring this even closer to home! What about someone that you really don't like? Someone who has wronged you in life and done mean things to you? What if God calls you to reach out to them, to love them, to share the news of his salvation with them? Are you willing, or would that make you angry?
When Christ is living in you, your response becomes that of Jesus Christ. He was willing to go to death on a cross for his very enemies. He did everything that he could to save them. When our hearts becomes united with his heart, then this becomes our cry as well. God doesn't even have to call us to go to our enemies. We don't become angry over what God asks us to do, instead it becomes the very longing of our heart to do what he wants to do. Our heart breaks over Ninevah, just like his did. Our hearts break over those who have wronged us, just like his does. We can't wait to reach out to those who have wronged us because we want them to know the Jesus that we know at such a deep and intimate level.
Jesus would have had every good right to be angry -- but he wasn't. If Jesus is in us, we won't be angry either. Instead our hearts will break for the things that break his and we will move with compassion in a world that is in desperate need of healing.
Prayer
Lord, please live in and through me. May I go with you wherever you desire and may my heart break for the things that break your heart as well. Amen.
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