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What part of the book of Jonah is hardest to believe? |
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Written by Pastor Ryan
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 I have to admit that I did not know very much about the book of Jonah. I'm finishing a sermon series on the book, and one of the surprising parts is which part of the story is really hard to believe.
When I talk to people about the book of Jonah, people often voice difficulty over believing that Jonah was swallowed by a fish and survived. Considering what we know about the insides of fish today, and that it is very difficult to find someone who has had a similar experience, some are inclined to categorize the book of Jonah as legend.
But the fish story is not really the fish story. By that I mean that the hardest part to believe about the book of Jonah isn't necessarily the fish part (which, by the way, has little to do with the meaning of the book as a whole).
Jonah was a prophet. In the Old Testament, God gave messages to prophets for them to deliver to select groups of people. Usually, in fact almost always, a prophet spoke to his own people. But Jonah was sent to his enemies - the Assyrians. God sent Jonah to deliver a message that would give Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, opportunity to turn from their violent ways. If they turned, they would not come under God's judgment.
You may not realize it, but this is crazy. Jonah lives in a tribal world. Every people group, whether the Israelites, the Babylonians, or the Assyrians have their own god(s). A people group worshipped their god because they believed that their god was particularly for them. Their god would make their crops grow, provide water, ensure fertility, protect them in war, etc. What happens to your world when your god sends you to show kindness to your enemies?
In short, the bottom falls out. How do you trust your god to protect you if he is suddenly for your enemies? How is justice going to be delivered if your god simply forgives your most hostile enemies? What is the point of worshipping a god if he is going to forgive whatever you do in the final hour? Jonah was a reluctant prophet because he did not want any part of God's loving kindness expressed to his enemies.
God loves his enemies. That is the astonishing revelation in the book of Jonah - that God's love will be extended to the whole world and not just his people. The book of Jonah is wondrously unique in the ancient world because the God it reveals is not content to be tribal. His love is so great that it had to go to his enemies in Assyria; his love is so great that it had to go to his enemies through the cross. Jonah is hard to swallow not because a fish swallowed Jonah, but because God loves his enemies, even to the point of allowing his own son to be swallowed by death. |