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REFLECTION

Jonah’s anger at God’s mercy is the theme for our reflection. Anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Mercy on the other hand, is compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone who deserves punishment.

We see Jonah’s anger at God’s mercy because God decided to forgive the people of Nineveh. “But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. ² He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. ³ Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:1-3)
Imagine God answers sinister prayers including those prayed out of anger, many of us will not be alive to read this reflection. God’s mercy and love for humanity, especially the repentant sinner is incomprehensible. This love and mercy is seen in God’s decision not to destroy Nineveh after they repented. Again, we experience God’s mercy and unconditional love through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross to save as many who are willing to repent and be saved through faith. Jonah himself is a beneficiary of God’s mercy because he was saved from the stormy sea and the belly of the whale hence he is able to testify that “for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” (Jonah 4:2). Let us possess the nature of God and show mercy because we are also a beneficiaries of His mercy.

In every situation we must pray for God’s will to be done, Jonah was angry because he is a mere mortal and was completely ignorant about the plans and purposes of God for humanity, God indeed exposed our limited understanding of His ways when he said that “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9-10). In other Words, we are limited in our understanding of God, the best we ought to do is trust Him and follow His lead and example in showing love and mercy to others no matter how challenging it is for us. Philemon’s love and mercy as a Church elder and a believer was also greatly challenged and put to test when Paul wrote to Him to forgive Onesimous who stole from Philemon and run away as a slave. (Philemon 1:10-12). Let us show mercy and not begrudge God’s mercy and generosity for the repentant soul, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us..” (Roman 5:8). Shalom

PRAYER

Dear God, enable us to understand Your will and to follow your example of love and mercy when we are blinded by anger, vengeance and ignorance. Amen

Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)