I’ve referenced Matthew 18:21-35 on this blog not terribly long ago; as I said in church this week when we studied this Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, it doesn’t feel good to be on the wrong side of a Bible story.
Anyway, as preparation for Sunday’s service I wrote this as a summary of Jonah, which we studied along with the Matthew passage:
I have a burning, righteous sense of indignation about what God is doing here. I mean, I come here with what he told me was a pertinent message: Serious extermination, folks, in forty days! Look out, Ninevah!
I almost didn’t come. I tried not to, anyway. God said, “Go to Ninevah,” so I left in the other direction. Ended up telling the ship crew to throw me overboard. Ended up being swallowed by a fish. I always hated playing sharks and minnows when I was a kid, and here I was, in some serious bile.
Told God that while other people worship worthless idols, I shout grateful praise, even from inside the belly.
Ended up as fish vomit on a sandy beach somewhere, slimy and good for nothing but doing what God told me to do.
So I went to Ninevah, preached hellfire and brimstone. Smelled like undercooked fish. Wore out my sandals. Sat down outside the city to watch the destruction.
And you know what? That king that I’d condemned told everyone in that blasted city to repent, to end their evil and violent ways–and maybe God wouldn’t destroy them.
And they stopped being so bad, and God said, “Okay, no destruction for ya’ll.”
‘No destruction for ya’ll’? When did God turn all friendly like? I hadn’t known there was a ‘grace and compassion’ clause in my deal with God! No way, man–that’s not what I came for. I came to say down with you downers.
I’ve had enough of this rubbish. Repentance! Huh. I didn’t put up with no fish bile for this kind of slobber. I’m just going to sit here and die. After all, I’ve wasted my time–I should never have left home. Abounding love and mercy–surely God could have come up with that on his own without bothering me. Fish bile!
And I’m right to be furious, too. And I have a right to this here nice bush that just grew up over me and my shed last night to keep me out of the sun and give me comfort.
But whew! That’s a mean east wind. Hey, where’s my tree going? Hey! Where was that tree-eating son of a worm when I could’ve used some substitute fish bait? This is really fishy. I wish I was dead.
And yes, I’m right to be angry, even if I didn’t grow this withered plant. What was God thinking? Mercy and grace and forgiveness–and for those losers, who can’t tell their left and right hands apart? Losers! And their pets! Bah, humbug.
Any big fish in that town? I’ve got a worm for them to share.
