Coming to Terms with God (p. 2)

“The Lord sent a great fish to swallow Jonah; Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. From the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord…”

Jonah 2:1-2 

When Jonah was thrown into the sea, he thought his end had come. Instead, the Lord sent a great fish to swallow him. One gets the impression that God is pursuing the prophet and leaving him no choice. In fact, He first sent the wind, then the storm, and then fate; and, just as the sea was about to swallow him up and put an end to his days, He sent a large fish, which, unlike him, obeys. When the Lord decides to do something, no man can prevent it. He had decided that Jonah should go to Nineveh, and for that reason He went to retrieve him from the sea and then brought him back. The large fish is prepared to prevent Jonah from sinking, and thus to protect him. Of course, it naturally seems impossible that a man “lived and was well in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights without being consumed by the heat of the animal, and without suffocating from lack of air.”  The text, however, intends for us to recognize divine will and action. The great fish is also proof of divine intervention on behalf of those who give themselves for others. Jonah had offered his life to save the sailors, and God does not let him perish. The darkest moment becomes a place of redemption. Spewed out onto the shore, the prophet can pave the way for divine mercy, convincing Nineveh of its need for salvation.

The prophet’s mission is to persuade people to ask for forgiveness and to allow themselves to be forgiven by God. The prophet is not yet open to the idea of a merciful God, and the healing process must continue. The Eternal One who “pursues” the prophet, however, is eager to protect him and free him from his afflictions. Jonah’s hut must not have been much to speak of, and the scorching heat of the day must have caused him particular suffering, since he “felt great joy” when the shade of the plant covered him (Jonah 4:6). You cannot rejoice over a plant and feel no sorrow for the death of an entire people. During the night the Lord works, and at the break of dawn, He prepares a worm that attacks the plant and causes it to wither. God has the power to take away what He gives, when it becomes a source of support without producing praise for Him. A great castor oil plant is destroyed by a tiny creature. What surrounds our lives does not last long. While we are enjoying its benefits, it can suddenly fail or be taken from us. It is a foolish attitude to tie one’s joy and will to live to its duration. Rather, we should learn to praise God for His daily works, and remember that even if the castor oil plant is gone, God is always there, no matter what. Childish whims have no place for those who fear God: “It is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:8).

Now that the plant has been destroyed, Jonah needs to be made aware of it. What better way than “a hot east wind”? The Lord always knows how to get through to us. The sultry wind is framed by a scorching sun that makes life truly difficult. Jonah’s real problem is simply his rejection of the good and merciful God. And for him, it becomes truly unbearable to believe in an act of grace after his proclamation and while he waits under the sun. If nothing happens, then it is better to die. Like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son who gets angry with his father over the welcome given to the fugitive, so the prophet cannot conceive that divine mercy would cover Nineveh, contradicting every form of justice conceived by human standards. Whenever our relationship with God becomes a burden that makes us feel entitled to judge whether God’s actions toward others are just or not, we are donning Jonah’s cloak and are afflicted by his very same malady. This is exactly what happened to the older brother in the parable. It was almost as if the joy the father felt for the younger son, the feast organized in his honor, the new clothes, and the ring given to him were deprivations for him. May the words of the loving father, which must have reminded him, echo in each of us: “Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours” (Luke 15:31).

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Weekly Reading Plan Bible #20

May 11, 2 Kings 13–14; John 2

May 12, 2 Kings 15–16; John 3:1–18

May 13, 2 Kings 17–18; John 3:19–36

May 14, 2 Kings 19–21; John 4:1–30

May 15, 2 Kings 22–23; John 4:31–54

May 16, 2 Kings 24–25; John 5:1–24

May 17, 1 Chronicles 1–3; John 5:25–47