Part 2: Calling
Day 11: The calling of Jonah
Jonah 1:1-3
The book of Jonah is what we would consider a satire. A man of God who is running from God, boat workers of high moral character, a sea monster that saves Jonah’s life, a city full of pagans that repent and believe in God. Every expectation the reader would have about every character is confounded in this book, except for God. In the book we see God showing mercy, we see God ensuring that his word arrives to the intended recipients, we see him control the weather and the seas and we see him discipline Jonah.
The question that I often find myself asking is how am I like Jonah. What are times that God calls me to go to Nineveh and I head the complete opposite direction away from God. Often people remember realizing that they were living in disobedience to God and turned to trust him for salvation. Even after having faith, like Jonah, most Christians can think of times they ran from God. Where do we imagine we can go that he has not arrived first?
Jonah is the anti-type of Jesus. Jesus is obedient to God’s call. In fact, Jesus perfectly obeys to model perfect obedience for us. Jesus is God’s equal in the trinity, but he sets aside his own kingdom to follow God the Father’s will. We do not have the moral capabilities of Jesus to obey perfectly, but in the power of the Holy Spirit we are made stronger and stronger in our ability to obey God until we are glorified in his presence, and we obey perfectly for eternity in the New Heavens and the New Earth. In the meantime, God will often have to resort to thwarting our plans in order to keep us in his own will, even if it means being swallowed by a fish.
Prayer for a Pastor: O God, our heavenly Father, you raised up your faithful servant to be a pastor in your Church and to feed your flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The question that I often find myself asking is how am I like Jonah. What are times that God calls me to go to Nineveh and I head the complete opposite direction away from God. Often people remember realizing that they were living in disobedience to God and turned to trust him for salvation. Even after having faith, like Jonah, most Christians can think of times they ran from God. Where do we imagine we can go that he has not arrived first?
Jonah is the anti-type of Jesus. Jesus is obedient to God’s call. In fact, Jesus perfectly obeys to model perfect obedience for us. Jesus is God’s equal in the trinity, but he sets aside his own kingdom to follow God the Father’s will. We do not have the moral capabilities of Jesus to obey perfectly, but in the power of the Holy Spirit we are made stronger and stronger in our ability to obey God until we are glorified in his presence, and we obey perfectly for eternity in the New Heavens and the New Earth. In the meantime, God will often have to resort to thwarting our plans in order to keep us in his own will, even if it means being swallowed by a fish.
- What is a time in your life where God interrupted one of your plans to keep you in his will?
- What are some places where you know your instinct is to do like Jonah and run away?
- Who are people in your life who need to hear about God, and you are afraid to tell them?
- Who were some of the people who shared God’s word with you? Lift up a prayer of thanksgiving for them.
Prayer for a Pastor: O God, our heavenly Father, you raised up your faithful servant to be a pastor in your Church and to feed your flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.