With apologies to the fellow to the left, I humbly submit that a lot of Christians are "Jonahesque" in their attitudes both toward fellow believers and "others."
What do I mean?
Remember Jonah? Not just the fish part, but the reason he was sent to Ninevah in the first place?
Jonah was sent as a bearer of some good/bad news. He was told by God that his mission was to announce to the people of Ninevah that they would get a serious hurt put on them by THE LORD if they did not do an about-face and put their lives in order.
Jonah, of course, tried to get out of the job. Why? We find out at the end of the book. But let's not go there just yet.
Johan ends up in Ninevah after being belched up onto the beach by a God-used fish. He calls the folks to repentance. AND THEY REPENT!
Jonah goes immediately from being a reluctant prophet to being a disgruntled, complaining prophet. He's not happy.
Push pause.
I think a lot of Christians are like Jonah.
First, they don't really want to go where God sends them. (Always into messy situations)
Second, they find ways to justify their disobedience.
Third, they are always complaining, never satisfied, EVEN IF THINGS GO WELL!
Fourth, they are in the "faith" business for themselves and are not that pleased that others would join them.
Summary, how do you think most Christians would feel if the people of the world turned to Jesus in faith and aligned their hearts, minds, bodies, spirits and lives with His purposes?
My answer: They would still be unhappy, judgmental and the complaining wouldn't stop!
Why?
Look at Jonah.
Jonah pulled off a very successful mission. That would/should be cause for rejoicing.
Instead we read:
Jonah 3:10-4:3 (NIV) When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. [4:1] But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. [2] He prayed to the Lord, "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. [3] Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."
WHAT?!
Jonah is "displeased and angry" because the people repented (changed their heart-orientation) and his mission was successful.
Jonah's so bent out of shape that he says, "It is better for me to die than to live."
Now there's someone who is on God's side!
Why was Jonah so upset (that's a mild description of his condition and attitude!)?
Because God was gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, and relented from sending calamity.
I get the feeling, don't you, that Jonah would prefer that the Ninevites had not repented and that God had destroyed them (or at least made them suffer--a lot!).
Frankly, I find some Christians to be a lot like Jonah.
They've got their "me-and-Jesus" thing going, but they surely don't want to share the wealth. Even more, they wouldn't be satisfied if people did turn their lives over to Jesus. A gracious, compassionate, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in love God doesn't fit in with their agenda of always being dissatisfied and angry about all that's going on.
God may let people off the hook, but Jonah Christians would never do so. Grace is fine for them, but let's not get too carried away and give grace to just anyone.
The book of Jonah ends up with Jonah with these words:
Jonah 4:10-11 (NIV) But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. [11] But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
Don't those words just slay you? "Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
How about: "Should I not be concerned about that neighbor/fellow citizen/brother/co-worker/fellow student/enemy?"
We know that our answer and God's answer to that question should line up.
Does our answer line up?
Does yours?
Jonah Christians.
Not looking good for the Kingdom.
