Jonah and the Two Brothers

The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.” However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. (Jonah 1:1-2)

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious. ² He prayed to the Lord: “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from sending disaster. (Jonah 4:1-2)

First, Jonah ran from the presence of God. Later, after spending some time in the belly of a fish, Jonah changed his mind. When God spoke, Jonah went to Nineveh and preached against it. After Jonah preached, Nineveh responded and God spared Nineveh from judgment. Jonah became angry and told God exactly how he felt. Jonah’s story reminds me of the two brothers described in the story of “the prodigal son” (Luke 15). At the beginning of the story, Jonah is like the younger son who runs away from the Father. He runs away because he wants to experience life on his own terms. No doubt, he was tired of listening to the Father and so he decided to escape to another land. Jonah chose to run away rather than listen to the Father tell him to go to Nineveh. Both Jonah and the wayward son experienced some difficult times while running from the Father and decided to return to Him. In Luke 15, when the wayward son returned home, the Father extended mercy and forgiveness to the son. The mercy and grace of the Father is interrupted by the angry attitude of the older brother. After all, how could the Father celebrate the return of a wayward son? In the eyes of the older brother, the younger deserved to be punished rather than rewarded. When God spared Nineveh, Jonah was angry. There was no hint of celebration over the repentance of Nineveh. Instead, Jonah told God that he would rather die than endure the expression of God’s mercy. Whether I am reading Jonah or Luke 15, I recognize that there have been times that I can see myself in the story of Jonah and the two sons. Perhaps that is why God shares the message in different ways and at different times. It’s a good reminder from the Father.