I have never been on a large scale fishing boat. I have been on a small boat and gone fishing, but I still can't really imagine what kind of boats they had in Jonah's day.
I read this morning about how Jonah was sleeping...."Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart. The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep." (Jonah 1:4-5) So interesting how Jonah was running from God and in a storm was able to keep sleeping. He did not want to help the people of Nineveh because he didn't care. The book ends with him being angry with God for helping them and being merciful. Jonah slept out of indifference. A false peace if you like. A peace that comes from numbness and a hard heart. So interesting that you can still be called a "prophet of God" and have this kind of heart. God was still calling him.
We fast forward to a similar picture.....a man sleeping on a fishing boat in a storm. "When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (Matthew 8:23)
Jonah had the men throw him overboard (thinking he would die) so they would be safe. He risked his life so he wouldn't have to see the wicked men of Nineveh be healed and saved.
The complete opposite is what we see Jesus do: first he rebukes the disciples for not trusting in a Good Father, then he rebukes the storm. Jesus doesn't run like Jonah. He embraces the storm. That storm swirled inside of him when he prayed in the garden, suffered through the night, then hung on the cross.
He didn't turn up his nose like Jonah or run from God's assignment.
One man wanted to see the wicked suffer punishment. He turned his back and slept. He almost drowned in the storm intentionally because of his anger and judgment toward Nineveh. Playing "god".
The other man rose up. Cared and loved deeply. Saw the storm. Knew what it meant. Knew he would be swallowing it inside of him, and the cost for relationship with us would tear him up inside and out. For Jonah. For Nineveh. For love.
He could have slept.
Jonah chose death so that Nineveh would perish. Jesus chose death so that we could have life.
I would love to be free from anger, criticism, and judgment. To have the heart of Jesus that loved and keeps on loving.
Who turn towards us in our misery, with compassion and mercy.
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