“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster”. Jonah 4:1-2
It’s ironic that what we love about God, is the same thing that angers us about him; his compassion, his mercy, his grace. When Jonah was asked to go to Nineveh, he knew that he was really being asked to be compassionate, merciful, and gracious to a people that was not deserving. However, Jonah instead of being the gracious, compassionate, and merciful diplomat the he was asked to be chose to flee to Tarshish.
Just like Jonah, often times in our diplomacy we chose to disseminate judgment or flee when God is asking us to show compassion. God’s love and compassion have to be foundational to our diplomacy. The very definition of diplomacy speaks to the idea of having tact: being sensitive to others, taking the necessary measures to express yourself in such a way that doesn’t cause harm or dissension unnecessarily. This kind of diplomacy requires compassion, and compassion for those who we disagree with, or find detestable is easier to talk about than to live out.
As Christ followers our diplomacy first requires our obedience. When God tells us to go and deliver a message to people, our first response should always be to do so no questions asked. It is not for us to question God’s judgement, or to become the judge of others. Secondly, diplomacy requires compassion, grace, and mercy. These things allow us to deliver the message of the Gospel without bias and judgement. It was these three things that Jonah was reminded of in the belly of the whale.
“At the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!” Jonah 2:6-9
In the midst of diplomacy it is important for us to realize who Christ is and who we are called to be as his followers, and ambassadors. All power is his, and salvation is His. We must never try to control who the message goes out to, because the message is for all. Our diplomacy must make accommodations for the culture and the context in which we are called to, no matter what our opinions of those to whom we are called may be.
Just like Jonah it’s easy for us to be compassionate and diplomatic with those who we think are worthy of compassion, mercy, grace, and diplomacy, but its ever so difficult for us to do so with people who are culturally different, or we don’t see eye to eye with; or have done awful things to us or our loved ones.
Sometimes our anger and hunger for justice; mixed with the realization that the Lord’s compassion goes far beyond our understanding makes us judge and jury, when we’re actually called to be diplomatic ambassadors of Christ. Never going around the truth, or avoiding his call, but discussing the message of Christ compassionately and prayerfully, showing His mercy and grace to all those we encounter.
Ashley, though not of a different race, you have totally humbled me in terms of my daughter’s ex-husband and his new wife. It is so easy for me to jump in and desire revenge and to seek justice on my daughter’s behalf. But you have reminded me that this is God’s job not mine. This also caused me to wonder, “Are they truly saved? What if they are unbelievers who just think they are saved?” Wow, my attitude needs to be such that I can example how Christ would treat them. Right now that seems so hard, but not impossible. Thank you so much for this reminder.
Ashley I agree Jonah was a horrible ambassador. Once he got spit out by the “great fish” he finally agreed to do the work of God but he did it without the heart of God. He knew God was merciful and if they repented God would likely show mercy like God does. There is no record of Jonah telling them to repent…just, “You’re all gonna die!” I imagine such a pronouncement might have been followed by a cackle. Jonah even might have been wearing one of those obnoxious T-shirts that says, “Nuke them all and let God sort them out!”
But before being too hard on Jonah, I have to realize why he didn’t want Assyria spared. They were a bloody people, the ISIS of their day, and if God didn’t destroy them I think Jonah realized that they would one day destroy his people Israel. Secondly, if they as Gentiles repented it would make it all that much worse for Israel who would not repent despite many prophets and much patience on God’s part.
However, I have hope that Jonah learned his lesson because he comes clean at the end of the book by including God’s stinging rebuke directed at him.
“And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4:10-11).
Nineveh eventually turned bad again and destroyed Israel because Israel would not repent. In turn they were destroyed by the Babylonians as described in Nahum. The ruins of Nineveh sit across the Tigris River from modern day Mosul, Iraq which is now controlled ISIS. Will we be moved with compassion for them now more than Jonah was then?
Jonah was a terrible ambassador; but, he was a great role model. He was a role model for how not to advance God’s word. After reading your blog; my mind immediately went to 2 Corinthians 9: God loves a cheerful giver; Jonah was everything but Cheerful about delivering the word. He was simply the messenger with no emotional empathy for those he spread the message to. This seems to be a model of communicating the gospel in our contemporary churches. We seem to be more in love with the message than we are the people who need to hear. Your point regarding our apathy penetrated my heart. The recent debates regarding the LGTB community evidence that; we sound as if we are saying that they are not worthy of even hearing the gospel; this seems tragic to me. I desire to have ears to hear and hope we all will.
John
Tremendous observation, that Jonah rebelled because he was being divinely asked to be compassionate. Yes, we do flee at such times, don’t we! We are called, not to express ourselves, but to express the words and will of our Sender. We are not allowed to tamper with the message; we can only deliver it to those who are as undeserving as ourselves.
Ashley, thank you yet once again for humbling me with your post. Your statement that “it’s ironic that what we love about God is the same thing that angers us about him” really hit me square in the heart. I love the Lord my God and want to please Him in every way and thing that I do. But there are time when I get angry even at myself for allowing God’s compassion, mercy and grace to rule in my life. I tell myself that this is not me, that I make myself sick of me for being so compassionate. Its not me to be this way. Then I remember who I am and who’s I am, that I am an ambassador of Christ and this is how He would have me express him. Thanks for bringing that back home to me.
Ashley, it is so easy for us to think we know better than God. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I far too often forget about how much I’ve been forgiven as I interact with other people. I think also of the parable where the owner hired people to work in his fields. He gave them all the same amount, even the ones who did less work. The ones who worked the longest, and were initially ok with their wages, then got angry and jealous, instead of rejoicing with the others. That parable always speaks to me and is similar in a sense to Jonah, because the central problem is selfishness. A good reminder to stay humble and thankful!
Thank Ashley for that reminder. When I read your blog I was thinking why Jonah had such a bad opinion. I don’t think he ever went to Ninevah so I think all his information came from hear say, or misconceptions. This is a problem we have with all different cultures unless we truly encounter them, personally. I agree when God calls we are to go no matter what. Blessings.
Yikes, this hits a little too close to home.
I loved reading this post- so spiritual and practical. I want to be a woman who extends the grace and mercy you write about- God is worthy of it. Thanks for the reminder.
good stuff ashley! the challenge to me is how to be an ambassador to country that has historically been you oppressor. great challenge!