Loving Difficult People in Difficult Places (Part 4 of 4)

Read Jonah 4

I knew it. When I was still at home and received the call to come to this god-forsaken place and these god-forsaken people my fear was that He would act according His character. In a striking moment of raw honesty Jonah illustrates that someone can tell the truth of God but entirely lack the love of God. If you ask me, these violent and voracious people didn't even deserve the five word sermon I uttered only days ago. Now look, God isn't even gonna crush them as He 'promised.' Figures (Insert know-it-all and entitled teenage eye-roll).

You see, we must be mindful of mercy so that we don't mind mercy; this will help us love difficult people more than anything else. Let me explain: Like a city train that has various stops you and I can often fall in to the "Jonah-juggernaut," believing God's mercy stop for us was His last. No more stops. No more passengers.

We believe what Jonah records, "I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster." Though we believe it, we simply don't like others to be the recipients of what we enjoy so freely. That, in and of itself, is to make a mockery of mercy. In an incredibly juvenile display he actually asks for His life to be taken as a result of God showing mercy to the repentant city of Nineveh. Unreal!

Now watch how God responds to Jonah's (and our) use and abuse of mercy. He doesn't condemn, discard, or retract His mercy. Incredible. He instead enters asking questions.

1. “Do you do well to be angry?” (v. 4)
1. Here Jonah's heart is revealed. Jonah 2:8-9 Shows he loves mercy shown to him, but Jonah 4:2 indicates he thinks what God did in response to Nineveh's repentance was evil (see your bible footnote). Seriously? How does that happen? Simple, he forgot the mercy shown to him, so he struggled when it was doled out to others. Here is a question to find if you have mercy-memory loss...
1. Ask: Are low grade anger, defense and excuses tools of my trade (ask someone close to you too answer honestly)?
2. “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” (v.9)
1. God causes a plant to rise up for shade and then makes it wither. Jonah, returns to juvenile and childish whining actually requesting his life be taken. Wow - this is truly bipolar behavior. When the plant was in place he was "exceedingly glad" (same word as his 'exceeding' anger in 4:1), remove it and he is ready for a coffin and eulogy. Truly Jonah appears petty. How does one move with the Spirit away from petty and toward maturity?
1. Be: The Apostle Paul was in prison, facing certain death, abandoned by many people - yet in Philippians he says that "My God will supply every need of your according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." He was shrouded in thanksgiving. Being mindful of how God has enriched your life (not only materially, but spiritually, relationally, etc) is critically important. 
3. “Should I not pity Nineveh?” (v.11) 
1. Jonah neither created nor sustained the plant God gave, he only benefited from it. God thought Nineveh was an "exceedingly great city" while Jonah's "exceeding" was gladness over a plant's shade and anger with the request of death over the loss of its shade. God saw people whose repentance and return meant HIS JOY. Jonah saw people whose repentance and return somehow inconvenienced him. 
1. Do: Examine your heart. Daily.

Perhaps this will help in that journey: 

• How can we, who have known and benefited from the mercy of God, be less than merciful toward others? (Rom. 2:4, 1 Cor. 6:11)
• When are we tempted to forget the mercy of God? 
• When I am not “mindful of mercy” how does God’s response to Jonah encourage me? OR read Luke 15:11-32 and explore the Father’s response to the older son.

Finally, watch this: