“But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” ~Jonah 1:17, NRSVUE

Children’s Sunday is this Sunday, and the story of Jonah will be our scripture passage.  I can understand why.  It’s one of those Bible stories that makes you sorta scratch your head, and go, “What was that all about?!”  The young (and young at heart) tend to love Bible stories like that. 

The Book of Jonah is not a long book; it’s just four chapters.  We can find it among the Minor Prophets.  Though some folks would argue that Jonah is in a category all its own.  In the Westminster Study Bible Rhiannon Graybill argues, “The most common perspective on Jonah’s genre is that it represents an anti-prophetic satire.” (pg. 1276)  Jonah is sometimes viewed as an anti-prophet or anti-hero.

God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh (the capital of the Assyrian Empire) to cry out for their wickedness.  Jonah apparently wasn’t too enthused because he boards a ship headed for Tarshish instead.  The Lord “hurled a great wind upon the sea” (Jonah 1:4) and the sailors become terrified.  Meanwhile Jonah is fast asleep down in the hold of the ship!  Jonah eventually comes clean that he is fleeing from God and he insists that the sailors throw him into the sea to save themselves.  As a last resort, the sailors pick up Jonah and throw him into the sea.  The sea becomes calm once again.  The men praise God.  And Jonah gets swallowed by a large fish (or a whale or some-sort of giant aquatic creature)! 

Jonah spends three days and three nights in the belly of the large fish.  He prays.  Eventually God speaks to the fish and the fish “vomited Jonah onto the dry land.” (Jonah 2:10)  Gross!  Anyway, Jonah shows up in Nineveh.  The people come to believe in God after Jonah called them out on God’s behalf.  The people proclaim a fast.  People and animals even put on sackcloth.  Even the king and the nobles turn from their evil, violent ways.  God sees their repentance and God changes God’s mind about the calamity that could have been brought upon them. 

This made Jonah really happy, right? 
Wrong! 
Jonah gets angry that God pardoned Nineveh. 
Jonah wanted God to destroy the city, and instead God chose mercy. 
Jonah and God have a fascinating discussion.  God asks, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4)  And the story ends before we learn if Jonah saw the light. 

Perhaps we can see in this story that God challenges bigotry.  God is concerned for all people, regardless of someone’s nationality or ethnicity. 
Perhaps we can see in this story that there is sometimes tension between justice and mercy.  Though God changed God’s mind, and our story ends with mercy. 
From the stormy sea to the sea creature to the sackcloth and ashes, it’s certainly a compelling story.

Love,
Pastor Lauren

Photo by Daniel Lerman on Unsplash

Thursday Thoughts 5/15/25