Grace Mission
Can you think of an instance when someone has gone beyond what is expected to extend grace? Perhaps they readily forgave a debt, overlooked an unkind word, loaned a car for a month, watched your kids for a weekend, or someone helped you organize an impossible work project to meet a deadline. Remember your relieved, thankful heart of receiving grace in that moment? When there is an intimidating giant looming in your future, God’s outstreched arm of grace is at work.
This theme of grace upon grace is also observed in our sermon series of Jonah. In reading the four chapters of Jonah’s narrative, one quickly sees the dualistic mission. Yes, God needs a messenger to sound a saving message to Nineveh, but the “weighty work” of transformation is directed toward Jonah's attitude. Jonah’s message to the Ninevites almost seems secondary. For example, note Jonah’s allergic response to God’s directive, “Go at once to Nineveh and announce my judgment.” You can almost hear Jonah’s surprised gasp, as if someone has punched him in the stomach. Understanding the wicked habits of Nineveh offers insight to Jonah’s distaste for his new assignment. When Jonah finally picks himself up from the ground, he breaks the world record for the fastest race to Joppa where he boards a ship going in the opposite direction -- Tarshish, modern day Spain, also known as the “end of the world.” As the omniscient spectator we hold our breath for Jonah as he descends into the bowels of the boat, symbolizing the condition of his soul and his belief he can distance himself from God. Exhausted, Jonah falls asleep to the rhythmic waves of the sea . . . until his peaceful nap is interrupted by the chaos on deck. The sailors inquire, “Who are you? What is your occupation? What have you done? and “Who is your God?” Jonah replies, “I am Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” Terrified, the sailors hesitantly accept Jonah’s advice to throw him overboard. The second Jonah sinks into the waves the sea responds. The sailors, awestruck by God’s great power to calm the sea, vow to serve Jonah’s God and reverently begin worshiping Him. Meanwhile, Jonah sinks into the apathetic tranquiltiy of the sea, as I imagine the faint strains of “Amazing Grace.” But God isn’t finished, grace shows up to entomb Jonah’s surly self inside the smelly belly of a great fish so he can sit with God. At some point Jonah discovers his voice and begins a lament of prayer, from the bottom of the sea (2:1). In his song Jonah unpacks his rebellion, realizing God’s extravagant grace is in control. As Jonah feels his life ebbing away, experiences the beginning of “shub,” the Hebrew word for repentance. Jonah must come to a U-turn in his life before he can carry out God’s plan. Gradually Jonah’s lament turns to praise and he declares he will honor his vow (2:9). When finally acknowledges “Deliverance belongs to the LORD,” the fish releases the prisoner onto dry land.
How badly we long for Jonah to learn from his near death experience, and to run to Nineveh declaring God’s message of grace. You can argue your point of the pace of Jonah’s steps to Nineveh. I imagine Jonah scuffling his feet on the dusty path dreading what may occur -- a turning of repentant hearts. Jonah must face a greater fear than dying -- he must accept the compassion God has for Israel’s enemy. For the next three days of Jonah’s life he repetitively preaches the shortest sermon in the Bible; “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Think about your community’s response to this passionless exhortation. What is Nineveh’s response? A pagan city relates to God better than the stubborn prophet.
I think most of us have a bit of Jonah in us. We are delighted to join God’s mission until he asks us to engage in the task of processing emotional health, or a project that we deem unprofitable, or impossible. God’s grace is far reaching and never ending. He reshapes the hearts of the religious and irreligious with His extravagant grace. In the story of Jonah, God reshapes a prophet’s stubborn heart, saves a crew of sailors, and transforms each soul living in Nineveh, within a brief period of time.
The mission God places in front of us is not difficult because God leads and covers us in His extravagant grace. The invitation to join Him in mission, comes furnished with an equipping of extravagant grace for the journey. If God can use a stubborn prophet to save a ship of sailors and an entire city, think about what he will do with your willing heart! Be encouraged my friends, God’s grace goes before you!
By Serena Sinclair