I can think of no better way to begin our conversation about the deep end of the pool than by referencing the story of my old friend, Jonah, and his encounter with a really big fish. Have you heard that story? The entire book of Jonah takes up only two and one-half pages in my bible. But there is so much to learn in this brief, yet familiar adventure.
God told Jonah to go to Ninevah and give the people who lived there some pretty bad news. Ninevah was the capital city of the Assyrians. Take a moment to remember some of the most hate-filled, heinous events in recent history – the Nazi Holocaust, or the genocide of the Darfuris in Sudan, for example. None of the brutality associated with these events even comes close to the terrorism and carnage inflicted by the Assyrians of Jonah’s day. Some of the Assyrian leaders even referred to themselves as “The King of the Universe”. So imagine how Jonah felt when God gave him a message of judgment for the people of Ninevah. It wasn’t just a message. God actually told him to go to Ninevah to deliver this message in person. Yikes!
I can only guess what was going through Jonah’s mind. “Are you KIDDING me?” or “Not gonna happen”, or my personal favorite, “That doesn’t sound safe to me, God.” So Jonah did what most of us probably would have done. He ran in the opposite direction. Literally. If you look at a map, Tarshish, which is where Jonah was sailing to as he ran away, was about as far away from Ninevah as he could get on short notice. That biblical Carnival Cruise to Tarshish that Jonah booked was almost 2700 miles long by boat.
Has that ever happened to you? Has God ever asked you to do something that you absolutely did not want to do? Not only that, but you knew in your heart of hearts you never had any intention of doing? Maybe you were scared. Maybe you didn’t understand how important the task was going to be. Maybe you didn’t think you had the time or the ability to get the job done.
Whatever Jonah’s excuse, his choice was to run away. Far away.
If you are familiar with the story, you know what happens next. A storm arises at sea, a storm so frightening and severe that the crew on the boat feared for their lives. They started by throwing things overboard to lighten the load on the boat. When that plan didn’t work, Jonah eventually got involved in the emergency action planning session that occurred. Jonah told the crew that the storm was due to the fact that he was running away from God. He knew his disobedience had consequences. He offered to sacrifice himself, and asked the crew to throw him over the side of the boat to appease God’s anger.
The crew said, “No!” There has to be another way, they reasoned. But as the situation became more dire and their efforts at saving themselves more futile, they finally relented.
Over the side of the boat Jonah went. The deep end of the pool for Jonah really WAS deep. The Mediterranean Sea has an average depth of over 15,000 feet. That’s three miles! I’m guessing Jonah thought his life was over. Suddenly, a great fish appeared from the stormy waters and swallowed Jonah whole. Meanwhile, topside, the sun was shining and the boat crew was left pondering Jonah’s God who could calm the waves so suddenly and dramatically.
Three days. That’s how long the bible says that Jonah spent in the belly of that fish. I don’t know how he survived. But I bet he spent a lot of time thinking, and I don’t just mean about sushi. There wasn’t much else to do. How drastically his life had changed in the time since he decided to run away from God’s plan for his life. The consequences of that decision were mind –blowing, and very, very wet.
I have felt that pain, feeling that I had blown a kingdom assignment. Maybe you have felt that pain, too. But God wasn’t finished with Jonah yet. His marching orders remained unchanged. He’s not finished with us either.
Do you feel like Jonah in the belly of that fish? Do you feel like you’ve blown your chance, made some really bad decisions, and are now living with the fallout of what has occurred? There’s another story in the bible where the pivotal timeframe of three days figures prominently. I’m referring to the amount of time between Jesus’ death on Friday to his resurrection the following Sunday. That morning, death was defeated. Forever. The entire world was changed. Feeling discouraged today? Wait three days.
It appears that Jonah gave that fish heartburn, because it spit Jonah out near the shores of Ninevah after that three-day-trip otherwise known as the world’s first submarine ride. Reluctantly, Jonah walked himself into town and in one of the most lackluster, anemic messages ever recorded in the bible, he announced, “Forty days from now Ninevah will be destroyed.” Then he walked back outside the walls of the town. Talk about an underwhelming sermon!
Jonah had completed his mission. He had done what God had asked of him. It wasn’t pretty. He had done it kicking and screaming. He wasn’t inspiring or articulate in his announcement. But the deed was done. He had delivered the message, in person, God had given him for the 120,000 Assyrians living in Ninevah at that time. Miraculously, and much to his surprise, the King of Ninevah heard the message and repented. I mean, he seriously repented. He actually took off his royal robes, put on an outfit made of burlap, and sat in a heap of ashes. These fierce people who had tormented the Israelites also wore garments of mourning as ordered by their king, and they earnestly prayed, asking God to forgive them and give them another chance.
You guys! God is so very kind. He didn’t just hear the prayers of the Assyrian people in Ninevah. He forgave them and did not destroy them or their city. Alternatively, because Jonah was so very human, he went outside the town walls and pouted. He said something to God similar to this, “I KNEW you would do this, God! I KNEW you would forgive them after all of the terrible things these people have done. I knew you were a merciful and compassionate God. That is why I didn’t want to come here and deliver your message in the first place.” He was actually angry that God showed mercy. After all, those Assyrians deserved punishment, didn’t they?
God responded that the people of Niinevah needed Him as much as anyone else. That’s why he forgave them. That’s why he spared their city.
God’s ways really are higher than our ways. Isaiah 55:9
Forgiveness is a powerful force. I’m not always good at it. I tend to hang on to the bitterness for way too long. It’s hard for me to let someone off of the hook when I feel wronged and hurt. Forgiveness doesn’t always feel good. Sometimes it means we absorb the pain of what someone else has done. Forgiveness is a choice, a gift that we give to someone. The best part? Forgiveness sets us free.
What about you? Is there someone you need to forgive? Or is it easier to sit in judgment and simmer in the resentment and bitterness of the ruptured relationship. Don’t get me wrong. There are people who have crossed boundaries that don’t allow healthy relationships in our lives going forward. These types of people are hopefully the exception and not the rule. But we can still forgive them, moving on without them as active parts of our lives.
I read a quote recently on this topic from one of my favorite authors and human beings, Bob Goff. He said, “There’s a difference between good judgment and living in judgment. The trick is to use lots of the first and go a little lighter on the second.” I like that.
I used to think that the book of Jonah was just about a guy and a fish. But I’ve learned that it’s really about so much more. It is a love story that demonstrates the lengths that God will go to love his creation. We get to be a part of writing that story if we are willing to listen to God’s voice and obey him.
Let’s start writing….