Who Has the Right?

I never really understood the story of Jonah until I had a child.  This was right about the time that the Veggie Tales movie about Jonah came out, and ever since then I have been enthralled with the story.

Sadly, I never realized the whole story of Jonah until I saw the movie.  I was caught up in everything God did that showed how mighty He was.  A great storm!  Swallowed by a whale!  Survived the whale and preached God's word!  Wow!

But that's not the end of the story.  There are only four chapters in Jonah; it's a quick and interesting read.  Today I'm going right to the end, chapter 4, verses 1-4:

Jonah's Anger at the Lord 's Compassion

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee 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. Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live." But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"

Note the chapter title:  Jonah's Anger at the Lord's Compassion.  You know what I have found out?  That happens a lot!  Christians are mean!!  We want the sinner - or worse, the saint who has made a mistake - to pay for what they've done.  Forgiveness comes with a price - to receive our forgiveness, you really need to grovel, be downtrodden, hang your head.

Uh-uh.  UH-UH!!!  No way is that God's plan!  How sad - tragic, even - that Jonah knew God so well and yet so little.  He even says, "I knew you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, loving . . . but I'm still mad."  And why?  Because he didn't get his way!  He thought the people of Ninevah (what a great name!) should PAY for what they had done.  They didn't deserve grace . . . compassion . . . love . . . at least, according to Jonah.

And they didn't deserve it.  Neither did Jonah, neither do I, neither do you.  No one deserves God's gifts.  But He gives them anyway.  And we certainly don't have the right to tell God who He can give His gifts to!

My brothers and I always used to tease each other by saying stuff like, "Liars go to hell!"  (This was usually proceeded by the words "Ohmmm!!  I'm telling!")  I was thinking about that the other day.  Because that is definitely true. 

But you know what?  Liars go to heaven, too.  So do murderers and cheaters and gossips and fish-slappers (you'll have to see the Veggie Tales movie to get that reference!).  The difference between the liars and murderers and cheaters and gossips in hell and the liars and murderers and cheaters and gossips in heaven is that the ones in heaven accepted the gift of redemption. 

How quickly we judge, how quickly we put others at the mercy of our standards.  And how tragic.  How selfish to accept God's gifts for ourselves, yet not want to allow others to have access to them.  God will have His way, one way or the other.  Will it take a storm, a whale, near death for Him to get our attention?

I pray it doesn't!  God lavishes His love upon us.  Should we do any less with each other?

I'm digging Jonah right now . . . so more tomorrow!