Epiphany 4 February 3, 2019
Jonah 1:1-17
In the Midst of Death, There is Life
v.17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Dear friends in Christ, it isn't easy being a prophet of God—just ask Jonah. Being a prophet of the Lord means being ready to go and preach the Word of the Lord to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. "Now the Word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.'" Nineveh, seat of the Assyrian empire during the reign of Jeroboam II. Nineveh and the Assyrians were deadly enemies of the Israelites, and were often used by God to chastise His people when they sinned against Him. All of this to mean that an Israelite prophet, marching through the capital city of their greatest enemy, proclaiming the coming wrath of God, might not be well received by those who were there to hear it.
Jonah, the reluctant prophet, was not so keen to go there, and so he decides to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He takes a ship out of Joppa and heads in the exact opposite direction from which the Lord had directed him to go. Before we judge Jonah too harshly, we should think about how difficult it is for us to obey the Word of the Lord. How often we fail to put Him first in our lives. We flee from Him when His Word is inconvenient or hard to be accepted by the society around us.
We keep silent—not speaking up at times when serious issues are being discussed—be it the sanctity of life, holy marriage, or anything else. We flee from the conflict that we fear more than we fear God. We run away, loving the good opinion of others rather than the Good Word of God. We come up with all sorts of excuses—"That's just ONE interpretation. That's not the God I worship!" We are so very tempted, as Christians, to dispense with God's truth when it might cause us discomfort or real harm and sorrow in our lives. Much easier to go along with the status quo, than to be labeled a "hater" or "bigot" when standing up for Biblical truth. It is so much easier to bow before the gods of convenience, personal pleasure, lust, etc., than to acknowledge and fear the One true God who made the earth and the heavens and all the seas.
This, beloved, is sin. It is a great sin and deserving of God's wrath and judgment no less than the prophet Jonah received when he fled from the Lord. Yet, there was something that Jonah feared even more than hatred of the Ninevites—more than the wrath of God—the mercy of God! WHAT?! That doesn't make any sense. God's people should always rejoice in the mercy of God—why would Jonah fear THAT?
Jonah feared God's mercy being given to his enemies—those he hated and believed to be unworthy of God's grace and forgiveness. For after Jonah does eventually go to Nineveh and preach the Word of the Lord (no matter how reluctantly) the people of that great city actually repented. They put sackcloth and ashes on every person and animal in the city—they called a fast of food and water for days. They turned away from their great evil. "When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said would happen to them, and He did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, 'O Lord, is not this what I said when I was in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a generous God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.'"
Oh the irony! Jonah the prophet actually witnesses what most prophets never do—the good fruit of his preaching. The people in fact repent upon hearing the Word of the Lord! And God relents. But Jonah would rather die than see the grace of God poured out upon people whom he thought were undeserving. How often do we do the same? Look upon others as unworthy of God's mercy and grace—actually secretly fearful in our sinful hearts that He might truly forgive them: the jerky boss or bully from school, the horrendously mean people on Facebook, murderers, adulterers, abusers, thieves, etc. How could God possibly forgive THEM? We won't stand for it.
Beloved, for these sins WE deserve God's wrath. We deserve to be thrown into the tempest of God's judgement—swallowed up by death and hell forever. But as Jonah teaches us, God's mercy and grace knows no end. Though we are sinful and rebellious toward Him, He continues to work to preserve us, and call us to repentance and faith so that we might receive His goodness and life. The story of Jonah teaches us that in the midst of despair, there is hope. In the midst of sin, there is forgiveness. In the midst of death, there is life. Jonah was at the point of despair, offering himself up to God's fury, expecting to drown in the storm, but God rescued him. Though he was swallowed by a great fish the Lord God preserved his life, gave him an opportunity to repent, and forgave him.
Beloved, this rescue/deliverance of Jonah is but a foreshadowing of what God has done for you in Christ Jesus. He has suffered the full cup of God's wrath—endured the furious judgement of God for your sin on the cross. His blood has wiped out the debt of sin that you owe to God. His blood washes over you in cleansing flood—redeeming you from sin, death, and hell. For this same Jesus rose from the dead three days later, granting eternal life and salvation to all who believe. Jesus is the ultimate picture of God's mercy and grace for you and all people.
Jonah's swallowing up by the great fish and being vomited out three days later was a picture of Jesus' own death and resurrection. Jesus Himself said so in Matthew's Gospel (12:38-41). "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, 'Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.' But He answered them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.'"
The One who is greater than Jonah has come. He is Jesus Christ the Lord. He willingly was swallowed up by death on the cross so that by His resurrection three days later He might swallow up death forever. For me. For you. For all. You no longer need bear the punishment of God for your sin, for Jesus was punished for you in your stead. His blood has paid the price for your sin. And now, by God's grace and the Holy Spirit, you are led to repent of your sin and receive God's mercy for you in Christ Jesus. What a happy joy! Rejoice and be glad! For in Jesus—though you be in the midst of death and despair—yet there is life and joy and hope. For He has conquered the tempest of your sin with His dying and rising again. He is greater than Jonah, preaching His forgiveness into your heart through His Word and Sacraments, so that you may be preserved in penitent faith. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Jonah 1:1-17
In the Midst of Death, There is Life
v.17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Dear friends in Christ, it isn't easy being a prophet of God—just ask Jonah. Being a prophet of the Lord means being ready to go and preach the Word of the Lord to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. "Now the Word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.'" Nineveh, seat of the Assyrian empire during the reign of Jeroboam II. Nineveh and the Assyrians were deadly enemies of the Israelites, and were often used by God to chastise His people when they sinned against Him. All of this to mean that an Israelite prophet, marching through the capital city of their greatest enemy, proclaiming the coming wrath of God, might not be well received by those who were there to hear it.
Jonah, the reluctant prophet, was not so keen to go there, and so he decides to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He takes a ship out of Joppa and heads in the exact opposite direction from which the Lord had directed him to go. Before we judge Jonah too harshly, we should think about how difficult it is for us to obey the Word of the Lord. How often we fail to put Him first in our lives. We flee from Him when His Word is inconvenient or hard to be accepted by the society around us.
We keep silent—not speaking up at times when serious issues are being discussed—be it the sanctity of life, holy marriage, or anything else. We flee from the conflict that we fear more than we fear God. We run away, loving the good opinion of others rather than the Good Word of God. We come up with all sorts of excuses—"That's just ONE interpretation. That's not the God I worship!" We are so very tempted, as Christians, to dispense with God's truth when it might cause us discomfort or real harm and sorrow in our lives. Much easier to go along with the status quo, than to be labeled a "hater" or "bigot" when standing up for Biblical truth. It is so much easier to bow before the gods of convenience, personal pleasure, lust, etc., than to acknowledge and fear the One true God who made the earth and the heavens and all the seas.
This, beloved, is sin. It is a great sin and deserving of God's wrath and judgment no less than the prophet Jonah received when he fled from the Lord. Yet, there was something that Jonah feared even more than hatred of the Ninevites—more than the wrath of God—the mercy of God! WHAT?! That doesn't make any sense. God's people should always rejoice in the mercy of God—why would Jonah fear THAT?
Jonah feared God's mercy being given to his enemies—those he hated and believed to be unworthy of God's grace and forgiveness. For after Jonah does eventually go to Nineveh and preach the Word of the Lord (no matter how reluctantly) the people of that great city actually repented. They put sackcloth and ashes on every person and animal in the city—they called a fast of food and water for days. They turned away from their great evil. "When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said would happen to them, and He did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, 'O Lord, is not this what I said when I was in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a generous God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.'"
Oh the irony! Jonah the prophet actually witnesses what most prophets never do—the good fruit of his preaching. The people in fact repent upon hearing the Word of the Lord! And God relents. But Jonah would rather die than see the grace of God poured out upon people whom he thought were undeserving. How often do we do the same? Look upon others as unworthy of God's mercy and grace—actually secretly fearful in our sinful hearts that He might truly forgive them: the jerky boss or bully from school, the horrendously mean people on Facebook, murderers, adulterers, abusers, thieves, etc. How could God possibly forgive THEM? We won't stand for it.
Beloved, for these sins WE deserve God's wrath. We deserve to be thrown into the tempest of God's judgement—swallowed up by death and hell forever. But as Jonah teaches us, God's mercy and grace knows no end. Though we are sinful and rebellious toward Him, He continues to work to preserve us, and call us to repentance and faith so that we might receive His goodness and life. The story of Jonah teaches us that in the midst of despair, there is hope. In the midst of sin, there is forgiveness. In the midst of death, there is life. Jonah was at the point of despair, offering himself up to God's fury, expecting to drown in the storm, but God rescued him. Though he was swallowed by a great fish the Lord God preserved his life, gave him an opportunity to repent, and forgave him.
Beloved, this rescue/deliverance of Jonah is but a foreshadowing of what God has done for you in Christ Jesus. He has suffered the full cup of God's wrath—endured the furious judgement of God for your sin on the cross. His blood has wiped out the debt of sin that you owe to God. His blood washes over you in cleansing flood—redeeming you from sin, death, and hell. For this same Jesus rose from the dead three days later, granting eternal life and salvation to all who believe. Jesus is the ultimate picture of God's mercy and grace for you and all people.
Jonah's swallowing up by the great fish and being vomited out three days later was a picture of Jesus' own death and resurrection. Jesus Himself said so in Matthew's Gospel (12:38-41). "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, 'Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.' But He answered them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.'"
The One who is greater than Jonah has come. He is Jesus Christ the Lord. He willingly was swallowed up by death on the cross so that by His resurrection three days later He might swallow up death forever. For me. For you. For all. You no longer need bear the punishment of God for your sin, for Jesus was punished for you in your stead. His blood has paid the price for your sin. And now, by God's grace and the Holy Spirit, you are led to repent of your sin and receive God's mercy for you in Christ Jesus. What a happy joy! Rejoice and be glad! For in Jesus—though you be in the midst of death and despair—yet there is life and joy and hope. For He has conquered the tempest of your sin with His dying and rising again. He is greater than Jonah, preaching His forgiveness into your heart through His Word and Sacraments, so that you may be preserved in penitent faith. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.