Almost everyone is familiar with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah. The story tells of Jonah’s call from God to go to Ninevah to announce God’s judgment to the heathen, godless, and hostile city. Jonah inwardly refused God’s commission and hopped on a ship headed in the opposite direction; however, the hold God had on Jonah’s life was too strong. God sent a tempest upon the sea which caused the mariners to toss Jonah out of the boat. God then prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, causing him to spend three days in the belly of the fish until the fish vomited him out on dry land. After all of this, the half-hearted prophet repented, headed for Ninevah, and upon arrival held a revival to preach God’s message to them. Jonah’s revival crusade brought in more converts than he had expected.
We would have expected Jonah to break out in praise with the results of his preaching in Ninevah, but Jonah responded just the opposite. The magnitude of God’s mercy proved displeasing to the prophet and the story says Jonah became angry with God. Can you imagine that? What is the most fascinating is the attitude of Jonah. It is an attitude that is not foreign to any of us. Jonah would have perceived the people of Ninevah as his enemies. And what we want for our enemies is certainly not to be blessed with God’s mercy and grace. Instead of seeing our enemies redeemed, we would rather see them go to turmoil and ruin.
Almost everyone is also familiar with Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. Jesus told about a young man who approached his father, requested his inheritance, and then made a complete mess of his life in a strange country. After making such a mess of his life and falling on hard times he finally came to his senses. He began to think of his home and his father. He headed for home and while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. His father ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. We are reminded that in the story this young renegade who returned home with egg on his face, had an older, more stable, more responsible brother. This older brother came home after a hard day of work and handling his father’s business, only to find dancing and music. He became angry finding out that good ole’ dad was throwing a party for his wayward son and refused to go into the house. That sounds like the same attitude Jonah had.
It is a kind of jealousy that wants nothing less than to set very strict limits to God’s love. We often assume this position every time we expect the Lord to be more severe in judging the sins of others than we anticipate for ourselves. Sadly, we often find it difficult to delight in the repentance and redemption of those we define as “gross sinners”. We would rather see them burned than blessed.
It feels so right to retaliate when we’ve been wounded. Nothing seems more bittersweet as to get even. We willingly trade blow for blow with those we perceive to have broken trust with us. We quickly look for ways to pay off old scores whenever former friendships turn sour. Do you remember ever feeling that way? I am sure we all do at times. It is painful to have these feelings! These feelings are also the source of many problems. Some of these problems which are obvious within us are: bitterness, mean-spirited, and even maliciousness. Over time these feelings of bitterness and being mean-spirited, begin to harden the heart. The heart becomes callous and indifferent, and overshadows our character. Sooner than we realize we can become the type of callous and mean-spirited person others try to avoid.
We may reach a point we realize where we are and try to patch things up. But between ourselves and the other person things are never again quite the same. Time after time the hope of genuine reconciliation breaks up on the rocks of an abiding resentment. Some breaches of friendship widen until, it would appear, no bridge will ever be built to close the gap.
That we all realize and understand the consequences of these feelings, is at least one reason we should be grateful for the gospel. We should be grateful for one particular portion of the gospel, in which Jesus said, “I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you….Do to others as you would have them do to you…Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful!” For many, if not most of us, this command of Christ is beyond our reach. Perhaps we should begin with the recognition that these words of Christ are “gospel”. That is to say, they are “good news”. This recognition should confirm that we are capable of accomplishing this command. We can accomplish this command because Christ makes us capable in the power of his Holy Spirit. Christians living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ are empowered to act, and not just simply react. We cannot afford to allow our affections and attitudes to be shaped and determined by the hatred that is unleashed upon us. What we can do is commit our wounds to Christ and then release our resentment, bitterness, and desire for retaliation into His hands.
As God’s people, we seldom argue with Him about the measure of mercy he gives us. But isn’t it surely the case that we cringe at the mere suggestion that God might display a similar mercy to those we detest? It seems as though the issue is this: that God’s grace and forgiving treatment of others leaves the work of judging unattended. We then falsely assume we must take up the slack and do the judging for Him. We are not at all that comfortable in a kingdom where parties are given for wasteful prodigals. We are not at ease with a God whose graciousness exceeds all reasonable limits. So if we want our world to be different, we need to release our bitterness and resentment into the hands of our Redeemer.
To change our world and release our fleshly bitterness and resentment will be hard, and it will be painful, but it will be worth it. It will be redemptive because Christ has the scars to prove it.
"If life has knocked you down, I prophesy that you will Rise & Walk"
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