Contemplative Bible Reading

Jonah 4:8 (New Living Translation)

8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

This is the end of the story of Jonah. God sent Jonah to Nineveh to tell those people in that great city that they were all wrong. They lived sinful lives and needed to turn to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph. They needed to turn to Jehovah the God of Israel. Oh, by the way, the people of Nineveh had easily smashed the nation of Israel in a war.

So here comes Jonah, telling the people of a powerful enemy city that they are all wrong. At the conclusion, Jonah says, “Death is certainly better than living like this!”

Those evil people of Nineveh must have grabbed this fellow who told them they were all wrong and put him in prison and tortured him to the point where wished he was dead, right? Wrong.

Jonah told the message of God. The people repented and turned to God. Jonah was a hero. Then Jonah sat under a shade tree. God sent a little worm to take away the shade. Then Jonah wished he was dead.

Jonah allowed himself to be tortured by a little worm. Can you imagine that? A little worm. Really? How silly.

I don’t like the way someone cuts their hair or doesn’t tuck their shirt in their pants. Can you imagine how disgraceful it is to not tuck your shirt in your pants. Why God should strike down that person and and and … It is a punishment worse than death to be around people who won’t tuck their shirt in their pants and cut their hair right. Why why why … And maybe a little worm will cause me to wish I was dead.

How does God tolerate us? Jonah allowed a little worm to bother him to the point of death. I allow an out of place shirt to bother me to the point of death. We are an odd lot. Thank you God for your eternal patience and grace.