May 2, 2011
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Are you a Jonah?
Go to Nineveh!
That great city
Our sworn enemy
Worthy of mercy?Jonah, you are blessed to be a blessing
May you have ears to hear this lesson
Your light is to shine in the darkness
To preach to enemies as well as friends
To go to all tongues, tribes and nationsGo to Nineveh!
That great city
Our sworn enemy
Worthy of mercy?You speak well for none is worthy
But I, the Lord, delight to show mercy
To even the vilest and worst offenders
Jonah, take heed, always remember
You, my child, are the chief of sinnersMatthew 18:23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Related:knowing mercy ~ reflections on Osama Bin Laden's death
Bible Reading: Things To Look for in a Church: What We Find in Solomon's Temple, #7: Missionary Zeal
Feast of Epiphany/Bible Reading-II Corinthians: manifesting Christ to the world
Epiphany: we are made a light to bring salvation to the ends of the earth
We are the salt of the earth; sprinkle us out in the world.Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Comments (9)
Good Morning Karen, I love Jonah--my kind of guy. He was used by God despite his lousy attitude. He cracks me up. God saves an entire city including the animals, and he is whining about a sun covering vine withering. Incredible.
I had a little trouble making the connection between the great story of Jonah, and the extremely serious scripture used. Matthew 18:35 is a killer verse---forgive from the heart!!!!!! Ouch. That is a verse I think about often---from the heart!!!! Oh my, that is a very tough section of scripture--Matt 18.
I guess your point is that Jonah should have been forgiving and merciful to the folks in Nineveh, as we should forgive those who offend us--from our hearts.
I love these sections of scripture. I never read Matt. 18 quickly--lots of good stuff there.
Anyway, thanks for sharing and making an old man think again. lol
blessings
frank
There is great rejoicing in heaven over a sinner who comes to repentance....It seems harder for us here on earth to rejoice - especially if the wrongs of the past life of that new repentant believer have hurt us; but that is just what we need to learn to do.
Just thinking of the end of the person who won't repent and turn to Christ should cause us to shed tears for them no matter how egregious their sin.
Father, help me to forgive those who've wronged me so that I may receive your forgiveness.
@ANVRSADDAY - Isn't it mysterious how God makes use of all sorts of people like that (like us!)? A clear evidence of God's sovereignty!
I agree w/ you that Matthew 18 is a really powerful and challenging chapter.
@quest4god@revelife - Yes, we need to learn to do that by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us, since that doesn't come from our flesh at all! I've had those feelings of resentment rise up within me. As we come to treasure Christ and His salvation more, we will rejoice when ANY sinner comes to repentance, rather than act like the older son in the parable of the prodigal son. And yes, seeing someone unrepentant should cause us to weep for them and then to weep in wonder, love and praise as we consider we too were once in imprisoned in that same darkness, only brought into His marvelous light by God's gracious work through His Holy Spirit.
@blonde_apocalypse - Forgiveness is impossible for us but possible through Christ who dwells in us. As we increasingly treasure God's work in sending Christ to die for our sins and grow in our experiential understanding of God's mercies, love and forgiveness toward us, His love will take deeper and deeper root in us and will grow up and flow out of us – His Spirit will work in us to change our desires, give us love and compassion for our enemies and empower us to forgive those who've wronged us (~ Phil. 2:12-14). God's forgiveness isn't conditioned on our forgiving others (otherwise it wouldn't be a gift of His grace received through faith in Christ), but our forgiving others is a fruit of our coming to know the breadth and length and length and height and depth of His love for us, to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge (Eph. 3).
Wow, very powerful.
This very thing has been on my mind regarding what Jesus said about the Sign of Jonah in Matthew 12;
38
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.
39
But He answered and said to them, 'An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
40
for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41
"The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
42
"The
Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment
and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear
the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here."
@TravelingStranger - Yes! I agree. I find it pathetic that Christians seem to need to look for signs in popular books about alleged visions of heaven and hell, rather than seeing God's sign already given through the gift of His only begotten Son: His incarnation, perfect life, suffering, atoning death, resurrection and ascension! If we lift up Christ and Him crucified, He WILL draw all men unto Him!
At first this poster didn't get the connection between the references, but one of the other posters' responses provided a clarification.,
@WLCALUM - I'm so glad that other comment was helpful to you.
Even after preaching to Nineveh, we see Jonah's heart was not truly one with God's heart. He remained resentful (very much like the older son in the parable of the prodigal son; in that parable, really both sons were prodigal, but in different ways). Until we begin to see and acknowledge we are no different than the people of "Nineveh," that we too are sinners saved by God's mercy alone, then we've not really begun to understand the grace of God.
A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing...
Nothing in my hand I bring
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.
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