But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry – Jonah 4:1 (NIV)
One of the most annoying things to me is seeing someone who should have got punished, avoiding punishment. I know there was a time when some of the guys who went to my youth group did something that I felt was really bad. I was angry because it seemed like they didn’t get any punishment for their actions.
I’m sure that’s a lot like how Jonah felt. He could see that the people of Nineveh didn’t deserve the mercy of God. And yet they got it. And to him, that just seemed so unfair.
And really, the mercy of God isn’t fair. It isn’t fair that any of us get it. None of us deserve to have God love or forgive us. And yet God choose to extend mercy to us when we were undeserving. When it seems like other people are not getting the punishment that they deserve, or when you feel like God is unjust, take some time to recall the fact that you too don’t deserve the love of God. You too are a sinner. You don’t deserve God’s goodness or His love.
And that is just what makes knowing God so special. None of us deserve it. And yet God gives it to us freely.
No Comments